The Andhra Pradesh government on Friday slashed by 30% the tuition fees for students studying in Class 11 and 12 in unaided schools and junior colleges. This cut in fees will be for the current academic year 2020-21. The orders were issued based on the recommendation of the Andhra Pradesh School Education Regulatory and Monitoring Commission (APSERMC).
The state government clarified that the Government Order (GO) that directs unaided schools and junior colleges to slash fees by 30% must not be construed as an affirmation of the present fee structure in place at these institutions. Schools were asked to submit relevant data to the APSERMC in May this year for the review and determination of free structure.
The move by the state government then was met with resistance from some quarters. The KAY VEE ORR Education Mailavaram of Krishna district had filed a petition with the Andhra Pradesh High Court objecting to the attempts to review free structures. The High Court granted a stay on the review for six weeks and extended it further. In the latest GO, the state has said that the appropriate fee structure will be subject to the decision of the APSERMC and the High Court.
The Andhra Pradesh government had directed all educational institutions in the state to not hike fees in view of the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic fallout.
The Director School Education and Commissioner, Intermediate Education reasoned that the 30% reduction will not impact educational institutions much as their operational costs have come down due to the closures, reported The New Indian Express.
With schools and junior colleges in Andhra Pradesh set to reopen on November 2, the state has issued a common academic calendar and guidelines for the institutions to follow for the academic year.
On Friday, the Rajasthan government also slashed fees for CBSE affiliated private schools by 30%.