Takeover of pvt schools only if they don’t refund fees: Sisodia

Seeking to assuage apprehensions of private schools, which have been given show cause notices on excess fee charged from parents, deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia said the government may not have to take action as many have started refunding the extra fee.

Sisodia said taking over of the schools is the last resort with the government.

The government is sending show cause notices to 449 private unaided recognized schools after they failed to return excess fee charged from parents on the pretext of implementing 6th Pay Commission.

A high court-appointed committee found the hike to be unreasonable and recommended that the hiked fee be refunded to parents along with a 9% interest.

“We are first sending show cause notices to schools on why the government should not take over them if they don’t return the excess fees. We may not even have to take over because schools have already started returning the excess fee and hopefully others will do, too,” he said.

Sisodia expressed his views on the issue during a Facebook live with Atishi Marlena, his advisor on education matters.

Sisodia said the takeover, anyway, will have no direct impact on students and teachers. “The school will function as it is with the teachers, staff, academics and fees being same. Only the management will be under the government and we will handle the finances,” he said.

Sisodia said the government has no intention to interfere in the functioning with private schools but they will have to if the schools don’t follow rules.