Kejriwal warns private schools against fee hike

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 14

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday warned private schools in the national Capital against harassing students by imposing any arbitrary fee hike or face the music thereon.

All complaints received from parents and data gathered from party MLAs regarding school telling parents to deposit increased fee and arrears “on account of Seventh Pay Commission” will be analysed in the next one week and a call to deal with it will be taken thereafter.

After a review meeting on the issue convened by Kejriwal at his residence, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, said the government will not spare anyone (private school managements) who fail to realise that education cannot be equated with commercial work.

“The situation arising due to fee hike by private schools will be reviewed. Every school will be checked and a decision will be taken in the next week. We won’t let them turn education into a business,” Sisodia told reporters after the meeting.

“No school is supposed to harass parents and students by charging increased fee on account of Seventh Pay Commission. We will decide after an analysis of all complaints and data available with us,” added the Education Minister while indicating that an audit of the accounts of private schools, if required, cannot be ruled out.

Taking to Twitter, Kejriwal said no school should victimise any student or else the government will not hesitate in taking “strongest action”. The Chief Minister also directed the officials of the Education Department to review the situation in the backdrop of complaints of fee hike and take immediate measures.

“Parents from all over Del have met me in last few days wid complaints that schools are demanding very high fee including arrears to implement 7th Pay Commission. This must stop. I have directed Edu Department to review the whole situation and to take immediate steps to stop this (sic),” tweeted Kejriwal who held a meeting with city MLAs and officials of the department.

The MLAs were supposed to provide data regarding complaints of increased fee by private unaided schools.