Private Schools: No Fee Hike in Delhi and even Excess fee refunded

Last Updated: 02 April 2024

December 2023: Delhi govt sets up two Project Management Units (PMUs) to assess the financial condition of the schools seeking a fee hike[1]

2015 - 2020 : No fee hike by private unaided schools allowed by the Delhi Government[1:1]

Only in 2022 that a very limited number of schools were allowed to increase fees by 2-3%, after duly examnining their financial records[1:2]

Private Schools refund Excess Fee[2]

Aug 2017: Refund after 7 years[2:1]
-- 450+ Private schools were forced to refund unjustified fees for sessions 2009-10 and 2010-11
-- Top schools like DPS, Amity International, Sanskriti, Modern School, Springdales among these

May 2018[3]
-- Delhi govt asks 575 pvt schools to refund excess fees charged for between June 2016 to January 2018
-- 9% interest also to be given to Parents

Collusion of political class & private schools

Before AAP Government, Education Department of the Delhi government never audited private school accounts

"AAP government will not allow schools turn into “profit-making systems” - Best Education minister, Manish Sisodia on April 2019[4]

DoE Guidelines for Private Schools**[5]

Regulation of private schools in Delhi is governed by the Delhi School Education Act and Rules, 1973 (DSEAR)[6]

  • List of Books on website: Schools should put up a list of books and stationery on their website at the beginning of each academic session
  • Minimum 5 Vendors: The contact details of minimum 5 book and uniform vendors need to be provided to the parents on the school website
  • No change in Uniform for 3 years: Schools are not allowed to change any aspect of the uniform e.g the colour, design,fabric etc for at least three years

Private Schools' Malpractices

Delhi Government has been consistently following a Zero Tolerance Policy towards Private Schools in Delhi indulging in

  • Unjustified FEE hike (or Financial malpractices), despite enough funds,financial irregularities in school records, fake student registrations
  • Violating RTE Act
    • Not admitting EWS students
    • Not providing free uniform and stationery to beneficiary students
    • Other provisions of Right to Education
  • Violations of DoE guidelines

Timeline of Action by the Delhi Government

Year Action Taken
April 2016 Two branches of Maxfort School in Rohini and Pitampura issued a notice under section 20 of the DSEAR 1973 due to EWS violations, land violations, tax evasions and forged records[7]
August 2017 An audit of the private schools on govenment land seeking fee hike was conducted and a lot of financial irregularities emerged. 449 Schools were asked to refund the excess fees, or the government threatened that to take over[6:1]
May 2018 Delhi govt asks 575 pvt schools to refund excess fees charged[3:1]
April 2020 To reduce the financial burden on parents due to the pandemic private unaided schools were prohibited from charging annual and development charges, only tution fee could be charged (no hike in fee was allowed)[8]
June 2022 For the academic session 2022-23 almost 400 private schools built on government land were ordered not to hike their fee without approval from the DoE[9]
December 2022 Government suspended the recognition of DPS Rohini for violating the fee hike rules during the 2021-22 session [10]
March 2023 Private unaided school built on government land were asked to seek prior approval from the DoE before hiking of school fees. In case of non compliance, the schools were warned that their lease deed might also get canceled[11]
December 2023 Delhi govt sets up two Project Management Units (PMUs) to assess the financial condition of the schools seeking a fee hike. These PMUs will carefully analyse the financial statements and records of all unaided private schools and give recommendations for revising or lowering of school fee and other charges[1:3]

REFERENCES:

  1. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/106242715.cms ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  2. https://www.thebetterindia.com/113189/delhi-private-school-refund/ ↩︎ ↩︎

  3. https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/delhi-govt-asks-575-pvt-schools-to-refund-excess-fees-charged/articleshow/64289796.cms ↩︎ ↩︎

  4. https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/delhi/2019/Apr/05/delhi-govt-will-not-let-schools-turn-into-profit-making-system-1960477.html ↩︎

  5. https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/delhi-government-private-schools-forcing-parents-expensive-books-8566218/ ↩︎

  6. https://www.firstpost.com/india/aap-govts-plan-to-take-over-449-private-schools-in-delhi-is-an-attack-on-years-of-financial-malpractice-unjustified-fee-hikes-3955453.html ↩︎ ↩︎

  7. https://www.indiatoday.in/education-today/news/story/ews-admission-delhi-court-318143-2016-04-15 ↩︎

  8. https://theleaflet.in/delhi-government-prohibits-private-unaided-schools-from-fee-hike-warns-of-penal-action-for-failing-to-comply-with-directions-read-order/ ↩︎

  9. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/delhi-school-fee-hike-only-after-doe-nod/articleshow/92114857.cms ↩︎

  10. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/education/news/delhi-govt-suspends-recognition-of-dps-rohini-for-violating-fee-hike-norms/articleshow/96031719.cms ↩︎

  11. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/nod-must-to-hike-fees-at-private-schools-doe/articleshow/98420350.cms ↩︎