Himachal Education Department receives overcharging complaint by private schools in Kullu

Our Correspondent

Kullu, August 8

The Education Department is going to clamp down on private schools that charged fees more than that specified by the government in view of the Covid-19 outbreak.

Kullu Higher Education Deputy Director Balwant Singh Thakur said the Kullu DC and SDM

had forwarded five complaints of parents whose wards were studying in private schools. He said parents had alleged that some schools were charging money other than tuition fees.

Some schools were conducting online classes for students and they had requested the government to allow them to collect fees to meet their expenses and to pay salaries to teachers. The government had ordered that the schools can only collect tuition fees during the pandemic period.

He said clear directions had been issued to all private schools regarding the government orders. He said the schools were also restrained from increasing fees for 2020-21 and stick to the fee structure of 2019-20.

The Deputy Director said inquiry officers had been appointed to look into the complaints made by parents and the reports would be forwarded to Kullu DC and SDM.

He said strict action would be taken against schools that overcharged the parents. He said the Education Department could also cancel the recognition of schools that had violated the government orders.

Parents said it was not justified for schools to charge fees as the schools were closed. They said the Education Department should inspect records of the private schools of the district and penalise those who had violated the government orders.

The Deputy Director said when schools reopen, a team of the department would carry out random inspection of schools across the district. He said action would be taken against the defaulting schools.