Legislation to Regulate ICSE, CBSE Schools

Bangalore, Jul 23 (DHNS): The Government is considering enacting legislation to regulate the functioning of ICSE and CBSE schools in the State, Primary and Secondary Education Minister Visvesvara Hegde Kageri informed the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday. 

Replying to a question raised by BJP member C T Ravi on behalf of nominated member Derrick Fullinfaw, Kageri said the government had received several complaints regarding some CBSE and ICSE schools doubling their fee structures overnight. While the complaints were referred to the Ministry of Human Resources Development, the government was helpless in initiating action as these schools came directly under the control of Central boards.

“We need to have some control over Central schools, which sometimes are run like an industry. We will take it up with Union HRD Minister Kapil Sibal and work on the legislation aspect,” Kageri said. The government will also consider recommendations of the high-power committee constituted to regulate admissions and fee structures in schools, and headed by the Commissioner of Public Instruction, which submitted its report last year. The recommendations included making it mandatory for educational institutions, from nursery to high school, to adopt an admission system based on the Delhi model.

Schools will have to assess the applicants on a scale of 1 to 100 points based on the proximity of students’ residence to schools and other socio-economic factors. The closer a student lived to a school the more points he/she would gather. An applicant living within a radius of 3 kms, for instance, will get a maximum of 30 points. Other recommendations included adhering to a fee structure stipulated by the government. Institutions can approach the government for any hike. Complaints against State schools can be registered with the deputy commissioner concerned.