Ahmedabad schools running pre-primary along with primary classes must get fees approved with FRC

Schools that operate pre-primary classes within the same campus as primary schools will now be required to get their pre-primary fees approved by the Fee Regulatory Committee. This was decided in the meeting held by the Ahmedabad Zone Fee Committee with District Education Officers (DEOs) and District Primary Education Officers (DPEOs) of nine districts under its jurisdiction.

During the meeting, important issues related to fee determination were discussed and key decisions were taken. It was decided that schools running pre-primary sections along with class 1 to 8 must mandatorily seek approval of pre-primary fees from the FRC. For standalone pre-schools, however, the government will issue separate directives, and action will be taken accordingly.

The committee clarified that schools cannot collect their proposed fees without first obtaining approval for provisional fees. If any school is found doing so, it will be required to refund the excess amount to parents along with a penalty. Newly approved schools will also be allowed to collect only provisional fees until the Committee grants formal approval.

The committee further decided that schools must submit their fee proposals within the stipulated deadline. Failure to do so will attract penalties. Schools must also file an affidavit online within the given time frame. Delays in applications result in delays in the approval of provisional fees, which in turn causes problems when schools begin collecting fees without permission. Such schools will face the dual burden of refunding the fees and paying fines.

The committee has also directed that only the fee amount approved in its order can be collected by schools. Optional activity fees may be charged, but only in compliance with the committee’s directives. To enhance transparency, the committee also instructed that its website and email ID be widely publicised so parents can directly file complaints if needed.