Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal today claimed that Punjab has become the first state in the country to take action against arbitrary fee hikes by private schools, stating that schools charging excessive fees will be required to refund the amount collected from students.
Highlighting the Punjab government's decision, Kejriwal said the AAP-led government has ordered private schools to refund excess fees charged from students and their families.
Calling it a significant step, he said that Bhagwant Mann had recently announced that the state government would bring a new law to regulate fee hikes in private schools. Under the proposed legislation, private schools will not be allowed to increase fees by more than 5 per cent annually.
According to Kejriwal, the cap will apply to all charges levied by schools, including tuition fees, library fees, development charges and other related fees.
He further said that schools which increased fees by more than 15 per cent over the last three years would have to refund the excess amount collected beyond the permitted limit.
Explaining the provision, Kejriwal said that if a school increased its fees by 50 per cent during the past three years, it would be required to refund 35 per cent of the fees charged from students.
Questioning whether such a move had ever been taken before, Kejriwal said, "Have you ever heard in the history of India that a private school was ordered to refund fees and the money was credited back to parents' bank accounts?"
He recalled that a similar step had been taken in Delhi when the AAP was in power, where private schools were directed to refund excess fees charged to students. He said Punjab would now implement a similar measure.
Speaking about education reforms, Kejriwal said every parent wants quality education for their children. He noted that while the Punjab government has been working to improve government schools, the state recently secured the top position in school education rankings, surpassing Kerala in the latest assessment by NITI Aayog.
At the same time, he said, the government is also addressing concerns of parents whose children study in private schools. While acknowledging that not all private schools impose excessive fee hikes, he said some institutions increase fees arbitrarily, creating an additional financial burden on families.
Kejriwal described the Punjab government's decision as an important initiative aimed at providing relief to parents and ensuring greater accountability in the private school sector.
He also advocated for similar measures across the country, saying there should be a cap on private school fee hikes nationwide and that Punjab's model should be considered by other states.