HC says will seek implementation of report on excess school fees

:The Delhi High Court on Monday said it would seek implementation of the recommendations of a panel it set up to look into the excess fees charged by private schools on the pretext of implementing the Sixth Pay Commission.

The court said the schools could not have recovered from the students by way of fees more than what was required to be paid to teachers under the Sixth Pay Commission (6PC).

It made the observations while hearing a private school’s plea to recall the Justice Anil Dev Singh committee recommendations to refund excess fees. The application challenged a May 29 notice of the Directorate of Education (DoE) ordering refund of the excess fees charged by schools, failing which the institutions could face de-recognition or takeover by the department.

The court issued notice to the Delhi government and sought its response by September 6 on the school’s application claiming it has been paying its teachers as per Sixth Pay Commission from 2009 onwards.

The bench told the north-east Delhi based Siddharth International school that it would have to show from its account ledgers the amount it was paying to its teachers prior to the Sixth Pay Commission and what was paid after it came into force.

It sought the ledger details as the school in its application had not given any specifics regarding the payments it had claimed to have made.

Earlier on May 31, the DoE had told the court that private schools that do not refund the excess fees charged by them on the pretext of implementing the Sixth Pay Commission will face derecognition or takeover.

THE COURT MADE THE OBSERVATIONS WHILE HEARING A SCHOOL’S PLEA TO RECALL THE RECOMMENDATIONS TO REFUND EXCESS FEES