The business of schools

Setting up a private school appears to be one of the most lucrative business propositions in Assam today. While a major section of private schools in the state is allegedly notorious for fixing astoundingly high fee structures, a news report published on the front page of the Sunday edition of this newspaper has said that about 4,300 private schools are estimated to be collecting a total sum of about Rs 700 crore every academic year in the name of imparting education. This figure has been worked out on the basis of the proposed fee structure that these 4000-plus private schools have submitted to the Government of Assam for the academic year 2024–25. It has been mentioned that while the State Assembly passed the Assam Non-Government Educational Institution (Regularisation of Fees) Act in 2018, this piece of law empowers the state government to constitute a fee-regulating committee for the purpose of regulating the fees. The Act also provides for the submission of a proposed fee structure for the new academic session before it starts by every private school, following which the said committee scrutinises the fee proposals and recommends the maximum limits of fees to be charged by different categories of private schools. While there is a school-wise minimum limit of Rs 1 crore or less and a maximum of Rs 40 crore that can be collected as fees by different categories of schools, the proposals submitted have reportedly brought to light that there are about forty schools in the state whose total annual fee in the new academic year amounts to Rs 370 crore out of Rs 700 crore of all the 4000-plus private schools put together. This is not just amazing, but it also speaks of education emerging as a roaring business. But what is of concern is the quality of teachers as well as their teaching, in addition to the basic infrastructure, including toilets, disability-friendly access, and, above all, safety standards, including emergency exits for use during disasters.