Charge only tuition fee, govt directs pvt schools
No hike or collection of 3 months’ fee at a go, says Manish Sisodia
nNEWDELHI: The Delhi government on Friday asked private schools in the city not to charge parents anything other than tuition fees till the educational institutes reopened after the Covid-19 lockdown.
Delhi education minister Manish Sisodia said private schools will not be allowed to increase fees without the government’s permission. He also asked these schools not to charge three months’ tuition fees at a time.
The overall fee structure of a private school is usually divided under various heads — tuition, transportation, developmental charges and annual charges.
HT on Wednesday reported that several private schools in the city revised their fee structure amid the lockdown without seeking prior approval from the government.
“We have got several complaints about schools hiking fees and also levying charges for transport, which is not even being utilised during the lockdown...schools cannot charge anything beyond the tuition fee,” Sisodia said.
He said the rule will be applicable to all schools, irrespective of whether the institutes are built on government land or private.
“No school can charge three months’ tuition fee (at a time); the fee has to be collected monthly,” he said.
Sisodia also said private schools cannot deny students access to online classes in case parents are not able to pay fees during the lockdown.
Though schools and colleges are closed owing to the ongoing lockdown, they are conducting online classes.
An umbrella group of around 400 private schools partly welcomed the Delhi government’s directive. “We agree with the government’s decision of not charging transport fee during the lockdown. And schools are in agreement with the payment of fees on a monthly basis,” said SK Bhattacharya, president of The Action Committee of Private Unaided Recognised Schools in Delhi.
“However, we don’t agree with the decision of not charging the annual fees amount component because majority of schools have fixed expenditure that cannot be met without the annual charges. We can take the annual charges
in instalments, if needed,” he said.
The annual fee is a sum schools charge over and above the tuition fee, and which they generally use for the maintenance of electricity, water and other essentials on the campus. While majority of schools charge it once a year, some take the payment every six months or every quarter.
The Delhi government’s Directorate of Education (DOE) on Friday also issued a notice to this effect to private schools, directing them not to charge parents anything other than the tuition fee.
“No fee, except tuition fee, shall be charged from parents, till further orders. Heads of the schools shall not demand and collect tuition fees from parents on a quarterly basis. The fee shall be
collected on a monthly basis,” the order said.
“The schools shall, in no case, deny access to online education to any student who is unable to pay fees due to financial crisis arising out of the ongoing lockdown,” it said.the DOE further asked schools not to revise the fee structure in the 2020-21 session till further orders.
All private schools were also asked not to stop the salaries of their teaching and non-teaching staff members citing unavailability of funds. “Arrange funds in case of any shortfalls from the society or trust running the school,” the DOE order said.
The DOE has warned schools that action under Disaster Management Act , which has been enforced in the city in view of the Covid-19 pandemic, can be taken
in case of non compliance.
Amita Wattal, principal of Springdales School in Pusa Road,said that the schools can manage till the lockdown with the tuition fee but annual fees and other components will be required immediately after re-opening. “The government should immediately lift these condition after the schools reopen. Otherwise, the schools will face major financial issues,” she said.
Meanwhile, the All India Parents Association (AIPA) welcomed the Delhi government decision. “The government has taken a very balanced decision taking into consideration interests of parents, schools and teachers and other staff working with schools,” said Ashok Agarwal, president of the association.