Delhi Government's Big Step To Regulate School Fees Amid Complaints

The Delhi cabinet on Wednesday cleared a legislation to regulate school fees amid complaints of "arbitrary" hikes. 

The Delhi School Education Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees 2025 Bill was approved during a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta. 

"...I feel overjoyed to tell you that the Delhi government has taken a bold and a historic step, and the draft Bill has been passed by the Cabinet today," Chief Minister Rekha Gupta told the media, referring to the Delhi School Education Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees 2025 Bill. 

"A complete guideline, procedure for fees will be decided for all 1,677 schools in Delhi, whether they are aided, non-aided or private. For the first time in history, such a Bill is being drafted by the government," she added.  

She said the issue of "arbitrary" school fee hike was discussed widely in recent days and there was "panic" among the parents due to activities of some schools and complaints regarding "harassment" of students in the name of fee hike. "The previous governments in Delhi made no provision to prevent fee hikes. There was no guideline to help the government prevent fee hikes by private schools," she said.

Education Minister Ashish Sood, who was also present for the presser, said three committees will be formed to implement the new rules. The panels will decide on fees for three years, based on the school infrastructure, he said. 

School teachers and parents will also be involved in the decision-making process, Mr Sood said. "Three teachers and five parents will be part of the process. These members will be selected through a draw and will decide on the fee for three years," he told NDTV later.

The minister also said that a 10-member committee will be formed at the district level. It will include two women and one from either the Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe category.

There have been long-standing complaints by parents and guardians against "irregular and exorbitant" fee hikes by private unaided schools in the national capital. The parents have also alleged coercive practices by schools, including denial of admit cards for board examinations and threats to strike off names of students over non-payment of what they describe as unauthorised fees. They also alleged that students faced mental harassment at schools if the fee payment was delayed. 

The issue took a political turn after Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly Atishi took a swipe at the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and challenged Ms Gupta to immediately stop fee hikes in all private schools.

On April 15, Ms Gupta said notices were issued to schools over complaints of "arbitrary fee hikes" and asserted that her government was committed to transparency and protection of children's right to education. 

A day later, the Delhi government inspected 600 private schools following complaints of unregulated fee hikes. According to the Directorate of Education (DoE), district-level committees were formed to look into the complaints. The committees are headed by sub-divisional magistrates and include education department officials, accounts officers, and principals of government schools.

The DoE said that schools found guilty of arbitrary fee hike for profiteering were being served showcause notices under Section 24(3) of the Delhi School Education Act and Rules (DSEAR), 1973. 

Inspections also revealed that several schools failed to meet their statutory obligations regarding the submission of fee statements and audited financial reports, as mandated under Section 17(3) and Section 180(3) of DSEAR.

On April 16, the Delhi High Court pulled up Delhi Public School in Dwarka for treating students with "indignity" over a fee dispute by confining them to a library and not allowing them to attend classes or interact with their peers.

Justice Sachin Datta said the school, which was treating students like "chattel", deserved to be shut down.