Now, special teams to check fee, other violations by Amritsar's private schools

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, April 21

Taking note of protests and complaints by parents of school students over exorbitant hike in fee and other charges and malpractices by private schools in the sale of books and uniform, the district Education Department has formed 15 monitoring committees in each block in the district to carry out a check and hold inquiry into any irregularities found.

In the recent orders issued by DEO Jugraj Singh, three-member committees have been deputed to inspect private schools in the block to check complaints of institutions defying government orders and harassing parents and students on fees and other charges.

In case parents want to complain against the irregularities or malpractices by any private school, they can directly contact via WhatsApp or call nodal officer, district monitoring and redressal control room, Dharminder Gill on +91 98888 87666

These committees have so far conducted inspection at 87 schools in the district, issuing warnings or further inspection at 47 private schools. Amid the growing unrest among parents over irregularities in the fee structure of various private schools in the city, these inspections are a part of initiatives by the Education Department to find a solution to harassment of parents by the school managements. Dharminder Singh Gill, the nodal officer of the control room set up by district Education Department to assist these monitoring teams, said each block has been assigned a team comprising a principal of the local government school, Block Education Officer and centre head teacher.

“Private schools have been asked to display the list of books prescribed in their syllabus and in case of any change, along with their price list to facilitate parents and check any exorbitant amount being charged out of their knowledge. Also, schools have been asked to adhere to the norms while implementing fee hike, as not more than 8 per cent fee hike is allowed in the annual fee. Every day, the teams are conducting visits to private schools,” he said. The department is also working out a solution to ensure that private schools follow NCERT books.

“The problem is mainly of CBSE and ICSE-affiliated private schools as they do not adhere to NCERT prescribed books. We are looking into the matter,” Dharminder said.

The department has also written to the DC office regarding complaints received against a popular private school in regard to charging exorbitant fee during the pandemic. “We had asked the school to waive off the fee of students, whose parents cannot afford to pay, up to 30 per cent or as per the regulations. But the school failed to do so. So, we have written to the DC office to recommend further action,” Gill said.

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