UP amends law to restrain pvt schools from increasing fees

LUCKNOW : With the state government amending the law to regulate school fees in extraordinary times such as pandemic or natural calamities, the private schools in Uttar Pradesh will not be able to increase the fees this session.

In the wake of Covid-19 pandemic, the state government had asked schools not to hike fees and charge from parents the same amount that was charged last year. Some private schools had complied with government order but a few others went to the court against government view, said deputy CM Dinesh Sharma.

He said in these extraordinary situation it was important to give some relief to parents hence the UP government had amended the UP self finance independent school (fee regulation) act.

LUCKNOW With the state government amending the law to regulate school fees in extraordinary times such as pandemic or natural calamities, the private schools in Uttar Pradesh will not be able to increase the fees this session.

In the wake of Covid-19 pandemic, the state government had asked schools not to hike fees and charge from parents the same amount that was charged last year.

Some private schools had complied with government order but a few others went to the court against government view, said deputy chief minister Dinesh Sharma.

He said in these extraordinary situation it was important to give some relief to parents hence the UP government had amended the Uttar Pradesh self finance independent school (fee regulation) act. The UP cabinet has cleared this and on Wednesday it was also promulgated by Governor Anandiben Patel.

Sharma said the law will give the state government the powers to regulate fees charge by private school from existing or new students each academic year.

He said the new law states, “In extraordinary conditions or emergent circumstances like but not limited to the acts of God, epidemic, natural calamities, wars of revolutions, civil commotion, floods, etc, the state government may be ordered to regulate the fees to be charged by recognised schools from existing and newlyadmitted students for each academic year till such time the aforesaid eventuality exists or such time as seems expedient in the public interest to do so.”

Deputy chief minister said under the amended law there will be a self financed independent school authority at the district level headed by divisional commissioner with additional director, treasury, as member and division joint director of education as member secretary.

Sharma said the appellate authority formed under the UP Private Professional Education Institutes (Regulation for Admission and Fixation of Fee) Act 2006 would function as “Self Finance Independent School Appellate Authority” till divisional self finance independent school appellate authorities are constituted in each division.

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