New phone number, email ID to raise complaint against erring private schools in Coimbatore released

To monitor the private schools from collecting more than 40% fees, the district Chief Educational Officers (CEOs) on Wednesday released contact numbers and separate e-mail IDs for parents to complain against private schools which forces them to pay above 40 percent or full fees, violating the court order.

CEO P Usha has released a new email ID, ceocbe1feescomplaint@gmail.com, and said that parents can complain against schools to this email ID, if schools force them to pay full fees or above 40% fees and based on the complaint, an inquiry on concerned schools will be launched.

Many parents opined that the school education department started acting after much delay and many privates schools have already collected more than 50% fees and above from parents earlier. They said that this action will not help parents.

A parent, R Shakthi in Vadavalli, said, "Due to pressure, I have paid full fees of Rs 37,000 for my daughter who is studying in class IX in a private school in the city. Most parents are scared to complain against schools because if the complainant's name is leaked, authorities would punish their children. They are manipulating parents' fears and collecting extra fees, over and above the fixed amount. Instead of doing this, the educational officers should visit the schools and conduct surprise inspection and they should inquiry indirectly with parents about fees and school activities. Officials should seal the school if the schools have erred. Then only, the private schools will follow government orders correctly."

On July 31, Madras High Court interim order pointing out that based on the oral complaint, the education department shall conduct an immediate inquiry and if it is found that the institutions are collecting fees in the violation of the interim orders passed by the court, immediate action shall be taken against the schools. Earlier, the court directed private institutions to collect 40% advance fees from parents before August 31 and 35% fees can be collected after schools reopen.

Tamil Nadu Teachers and School Protection Association general secretary R Ramkumar said, "Many parents lodged complaints against private schools in many districts, the officials have not taken any strong action on schools. After one month, senior officials had discussed the court directions with CEOs on Wednesday. CEOs released contact numbers and email ID to receive complaints from parents." Calling the move an "eyewash", he demanded, "It will not help parents, however. They had already complained against schools through CEO and DEO office numbers. They have just changed the phone number and created a separate email ID. If the department had taken action, the school's name should have been listed openly." 

When contacted, Director of Matriculation Schools A Karuppasamy said, "If schools collect fees more than 40% fees, violating the court order, parents can complain to the concerned CEO on the given email ID and their identities will be kept a secret. Now, we have started to collect details of private schools that have violated the court order to submit its name in court."