UT to regulate fees of private schools

Ramkrishan Upadhyay

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 5

Acting on complaints of a large number of parents, the Chandigarh Administration has decided to put in place a mechanism through which the fee structure of private schools can be regulated.

Sources said the Education Department had prepared a draft proposal of the mechanism and had sent it to the Administrator for approval.

The sources said besides the tuition fees, other charges such as admission fees and development fees would also be regulated along with the sale of books and uniform. A decision on setting up a regulatory authority, its structure, number of members and their powers will be decided after seeking a legal opinion.

The sources said the process for putting such a system in place was started after the fee issue reached UT Administrator Kaptan Singh Solanki.

An officer said this was being done in line with rulings of courts, which stressed the need for providing education at an affordable cost.

The Punjab and Haryana High had, in its order dated April 9, 2013, directed the Administration to regulate the fees of the private schools, but no concrete steps were taken.

A committee, headed by Justice RS Mongia (retd) was constituted to examine the fee hike by schools in 2012-13.

A social activist, RK Garg, recently wrote to the Administrator on the issue and requested him to direct the Administration to take necessary action. He said most of the schools had failed to submit the necessary documents to the committee so far.

An officer said the Administration had the power to interfere in matters such as fees as part of the terms of the letter of allotment of land to private schools. He said whenever land was allotted on a leasehold basis for running a school, a specific clause was included in the allotment letter to the effect that the school shall provide education at an affordable cost.

“Land has been allotted to schools by the Chandigarh Administration at low rates with the objective of providing education for a reasonable fee,” he said.