Earlier, the Delhi govt directed 575 private schools in the city to refund to parents the excess fees
According to Delhi Chief Minister, it is the government's duty to protect the interest of parents and ensure that schools remain financially viable. The chief minister has yesterday directed the Delhi government to take stern action against a school that increased its fees in the name of implementation of 7th pay commission.
Mr. Kejriwal also claimed that Delhi's Aam Aadmi Party government is the first government in history which stopped private schools from hiking fee illegitimately and it also forced some schools to refund illegitimate fee hike.
"First govt in history which has stopped pvt schools from hiking fee illegitimately n also forced some schools to rfund illegitimate fee hike. It is govt's duty to protect interests of parents while also ensuring that schools remain financially viable (sic)," Kejriwal said in a twee.
The chief minister yesterday asked the Directorate of Education to act against Bal Bharti Public School, which increased the fees by 10 per cent for 2017-18, over the previous academic session.
Bal Bharti Public School has been asked to communicate to parents through its website, on notice board and via a circular about the rejection of the increase in the fee structure and pay salaries and allowances to teachers and other staffers from its savings. The government order said based on the analysis of financial statement of the school, it is having a surplus of fund of Rs. 11,08,35,825.
Issuing the order to the school management, the Delhi Education Directorate has asked the management to remove all financial and other irregularities or violations as listed in the order and submit the compliance report within 30 days.
The order also warned that the non-compliance of order shall be viewed seriously.
Based on review of the audited financial statement, the Directorate observed that the school has purchased a luxury car during the financial year 2014-15.
They should not have purchased luxury car out of school funds. This amount is to be recovered by school, the statement said.
"Remove all financial and other irregularities or violations as listed above and submit the compliance report within 30 days to this office," the order said.
Earlier in March, the Delhi government directed 575 private schools in the city to refund to parents the excess fees charged by them with nine per cent interest.
The order, issued by the Directorate of Education, was based on a committee constituted by the Delhi High Court for examining the records and accounts of "Unaided Recognised Private Schools" in respect of implementation of the recommendations of the Sixth Central Pay Commission.
A total of 1,169 Unaided Recognised Private Schools were examined from June 2016 to January 2018.
In another development yesterday, Mr. Kejriwal told the principal of Rabia Girls Public School, Naheed Usmani, that punishing kindergarten children for alleged delay in payment of school fees is "unacceptable." On Thursday, Mr Kejriwal and his deputy Manish Sisodia visited the school, where 16 little children were confined in the basement for non-payment of fees.
(With PTI Inputs)
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