Irked over the delay in submitting a report on the school fees in Telangana, members of the Hyderabad School Parents Association (HSPA) walked out of a meeting of the Professor Tirupathi Rao committee on Friday.
The parents were protesting after the committee failed to submit its report by the deadline of November 30.
The HSPA also wrote an open letter to Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Friday.
"The parents led by HSPA – Hyderabad Schools Parents Association have done everything possible to bring to your attention, the indiscriminate loot by the private schools. We have complained to many officials (MLAs, MLCs and Ministers), filed FIRs with police, filed PILs in High Court, fought a case all the way to Supreme Court, and caught on camera several schools taking illegal cash donations. We have gone to the extent of exposing balance sheets of several schools with their shell companies to prove their illegal profiteering. Yet, #SchoolFeeLoot continues unabated. So much so that Hyderabad has been declared to be the most expensive city in India for school education despite being one of the most affordable cities to live in," the parents wrote.
Accusing the government of only handing out 'false promises', the parents pointed out that the Committee, which was formed on March 21, 2017, was supposed to submit its report in 30 days, when 250 days have passed with more than 6 extensions given to the committee.
"HSPA was made a formal member of the committee. Our members have participated in all the committee deliberations. Hence, we know for a fact that there is nothing pending for discussion. The only thing awaited is the willingness of your government to accept the committee’s recommendations," the parents stated.
Pointing out that KCR had promised free KG to PG education in his manifesto, the parents said that education instead, has become the most unaffordable commodity in the state.
"What we need is quality education in government schools and a fair regulation of education costs in private schools. The future of 34 lakh students (and their parents) studying in the private schools of Telangana as of today is in your hands. Let us remind you that tied to their future is the future of the state of Telangana," the parents wrote.