Stop the Exploitation Through ‘Prospectus’ Fees by Higher Secondary Schools; ABVP Demands Action from Education Department

Goa Khabar:The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) has strongly condemned the ongoing practice of unauthorized fee collection under the guise of ‘prospectus’ charges by higher secondary schools in Goa during the admission process. The organization has taken an aggressive stance against the exorbitant amounts being charged from students in the name of prospectus fees.

To bring transparency and uniformity to this process, ABVP has proposed two key measures to the Education Minister and the Directorate of Education. Firstly, on the lines of many senior colleges that publish their information booklets online, higher secondary schools should make their prospectus available free of cost in PDF format on their official websites. Secondly, if printing costs are unavoidable, the price of the prospectus should not exceed ₹100 under any circumstances.

Just as higher education institutions are increasingly ensuring that prospectuses are easily accessible and often free during admissions, the same policy should be implemented by higher secondary schools. The Education Department should issue a government order capping the prospectus fee at a maximum of ₹100. Additionally, schools should not mandate the purchase of printed copies and must provide the option to download them online for free.

Strict action should be taken against schools charging excessive fees. Furthermore, students who have already paid such inflated charges for prospectuses during the admission process should be refunded.

ABVP Konkan Joint Secretary, Yash Kantak, stated: “While some schools provide information booklets free of cost, others are charging up to ₹1000. This disparity is unjust. A prospectus is meant to provide information, not to generate profit. If this exploitative practice that burdens students financially is not stopped and a cap is not imposed, a strong agitation will be launched in the interest of students and parents.”