DEOs to ensure compliance of fee cap by private schools in Punjab

Ruchika M Khanna

Chandigarh, April 11

Having drawn criticism for the non-implementation of the Chief Minister’s order regarding capping of fee to be charged by private schools in Punjab, the government is all set to issue letters to district education officers (DEOs), asking them to ensure the orders are complied with.

The DEOs will, in turn, inform schools about the government decision, restricting them from increasing the fee. Since many schools have hiked the fee for the new academic session, citing a law passed by the previous state government that allowed them to effect an eight per cent increase, the letter being sent will ask such schools to explain their move.

Even after the CM announced the fee cap, several schools had gone ahead with the fee hike, some by as much as 50 per cent. Parents of children have been protesting against this increase.

Legally, schools covered under The Punjab Regulation of Fee of Unaided Educational Institutions Act, 2016, can hike the fee by eight per cent annually. To cap fee hike, the state government will have to bring in a new law, overriding the provisions of this law. Sources say it will take some months before the law can be enacted.

Top functionaries in the state government told The Tribune there were court rulings that sought to examine if the reasons cited by schools for effecting a fee hike were actually adhered to by the schools. “As of now, we are going to use this legal provision to ensure no one increases the fee beyond eight per cent, and also explain to state education department the reason for fee hike,” he said.

The schools are also being asked to identify and widely circulate list of 20 stationery/uniform shops in cities having municipal corporations, from where students/their parents can buy stationery and uniform from.