In the midst of a political controversy regarding purported illegal fee increases at various private schools in the Capital, Delhi Education Minister Ashish Sood announced on Monday that he will release data on fee hikes within the next 10 days on the Directorate of Education (DoE) website to promote transparency. To address the issue of irregular fee increases, an audit of all recognized private schools is currently being conducted by a newly established investigative committee led by the respective sub-divisional magistrates.
During a press conference on Monday, Sood criticized the previous Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) administration for permitting unlawful and arbitrary fee increases during its time in office. “Over the past decade, under the previous government, only 75 out of 1,677 private schools in Delhi were audited each year. For the first time in the history of Delhi’s education system, committees led by SDMs have been created to gather audit reports from all 1,677 private schools,” he stated. He noted that these committees comprise tehsildars and accounting officials, emphasizing that any school found in violation of regulations will face stringent consequences.
“For the first time, following the directives of Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, an investigation has been initiated against DPS Dwarka, overseen by the District Magistrate of Kapashera. The annual fee increases are currently under examination,” the Minister remarked. In recent weeks, some parents have claimed that their children at the school have experienced harassment for refusing to pay the increased fees.
The issue of fee hikes in private schools, which has previously sparked protests from dissatisfied parents, has also ignited a political dispute.
Earlier in the day, former Chief Minister and AAP leader Atishi accused the BJP government of permitting private schools to “exploit parents through excessive fees.” She addressed a letter to the Chief Minister, urging her to take immediate action to prevent any school from collecting increased fees from parents until a thorough audit is conducted. In her emphatic correspondence, Atishi stated, “Education should not be treated as a commercial venture, and profit-making in private schools is unacceptable.”
Atishi also defended the previous administration against criticisms. “Over the past decade, no school was permitted to raise fees arbitrarily, even by a single rupee. We engaged auditors from the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) to review the financial records of every school that requested a fee increase.”
As per the Delhi School Education Act and Rules (DSEAR) of 1973, the Department of Education (DoE) is tasked with reviewing the audited financial statements, accounting books, and other records of schools at least once each fiscal year. Every recognized school is required to undergo an inspection at least once annually. Additionally, any proposal for a fee increase from a school that occupies land allocated by the Delhi Development Authority or another land-owning agency must receive prior approval from the Director of Education.
A principal from a private school affected by the fee hike allegations remarked, “For nine consecutive years, we did not raise fees as our requests were denied each time; it was only when necessary that the school implemented a reasonable increase recently.”
Courtesy The new Indian Express
