Mangaluru, 27 Oct

Education Department has directed 121 private English medium schools in Dakshina Kannada to refund excess fees claimed under the Right to Education (RTE) quota for the academic years 2013-2015. This action follows audit objections raised by the Deputy Director of Public Instruction (DDPI) in Hassan.

James Cutina, the Block Education Officer for Mangaluru South, confirmed that a meeting was held with representatives from over 52 schools in his area, where they were instructed to return the overpaid amounts. While some schools have begun to comply, others have raised concerns about discrepancies in the reimbursement process. One  Principal noted that the government had set reimbursement rates at Rs 8,000 for pre-primary and Rs16,000 for primary students, but actual payments often fell short, averaging around Rs 5,000 and Rs 11,000, respectively.

Resistance to the issue found more voice among schools in Mangaluru North, where administrators have submitted audited financial reports disputing the department's calculations. According to K Ravindra Shetty, President of the Dakshina Kannada and Udupi Private English Medium Schools Association a few schools have issued refunds to avoid further complications.

Syprian Montheiro, Director of Public Instruction (Primary Education) said that Further instructions from the Commissioner for Public Instruction are expected as the initiative to reclaim excess reimbursements continues across the State. -Salar News