Registration fee for schools in Bengaluru increased by nearly ten times

The News Minute | November 13, 2014 | 08:53 am ISTThe Education department has raised the registration fee for new schools to Rs 1 cr, states a report by Bangalore Mirror. This is said to be a move by the department to discourage the 'mushrooming' of schools in the city that give rise to 'unhealthy competition', and also ensure 'quality' education.  The registration fee for a new English medium school will be not less than a crore. While seeking permission to start classes 9 and 10, where the medium of instruction is English, the school would need to pay Rs 1 lakh registration fee and Rs 20,000 as processing fee, explains the report. Schools will also need to have a minimum of one acre of land in the city. The revised order, according to the report, will apply on new schools and is unlikely to affect the existing ones. The Education Department claims that the hefty hike may not affect the tuition fee in schools, adds the report. The New Indian Express reports that the Department of Public Instruction has also laid down several strict measures to give affiliation to schools apart from raising the registration fee by almost 10 times. Schools will need to implement safety guidelines, schools should have eight toilets, drinking water facility and a playground, comply with all the infrastructure and pupil-teacher ratio as mandated in the Right to Education (RTE) Act, etc., adds the report.