Gujarat: Private School Fee Structures Go Online

In a move aimed at strengthening transparency and protecting parents from unauthorised fee hikes, the Gujarat government has made the approved fee structures of 5,780 private schools publicly accessible online.

The initiative has been implemented through the Fee Regulatory Committee (FRC) and seeks to address long-standing complaints from parents regarding arbitrary charges and lack of clarity in private school fee collection.

With the new system in place, parents can now check the exact fee approved for their child’s school directly on the FRC website. Any amount charged beyond the sanctioned structure will be treated as a violation of the law.

Transparency measure to address parent grievances

For years, parents across Gujarat have alleged that many private schools failed to disclose official fee orders issued by the FRC. Several institutions were accused of levying additional charges under various heads such as admissions, term fees and extracurricular activities, leaving families uncertain about their legal obligations.

Although schools were earlier directed to display approved fee orders on their notice boards, officials acknowledged that compliance was inconsistent and enforcement weak.

By uploading fee orders directly on its official portal, the FRC aims to eliminate this information gap and ensure greater accountability among private educational institutions.

Fee details of thousands of schools now available

According to the FRC, approved fee structures of 5,780 private schools across Gujarat have been uploaded, covering institutions in Ahmedabad and other districts.

In the Ahmedabad zone alone, fee details of 2,310 private schools within city limits and 394 schools in rural areas have been made available. The information has been organised class-wise, medium-wise and board-wise, enabling parents to easily verify the applicable fee for their child’s grade and curriculum.

Strict enforcement under fee regulation law

Private school fees in Gujarat are regulated under the Fee Determination Act, which came into force in 2017. However, officials admitted that enforcement of the law was uneven in its initial years.

Following a recent Supreme Court ruling, the regulatory framework has been tightened further. Schools are now barred from collecting even a single rupee more than the amount approved by the FRC, including under heads such as admission or term fees.

Ahmedabad city District Education Officer Rohit Chaudhary said the FRC Ahmedabad zone has approved fee structures of over 5,800 schools and that parents can access the details online as well as on school notice boards.

He added that schools whose fees have been reduced by the committee are required to refund the excess amount collected from parents or adjust it against future fees, provided the decision is not altered on appeal.

Officials clarified that failure to comply with the approved fee structure would invite action under existing laws.