New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Tuesday said strict action will be taken against private schools found raising fees abnormally, stating that “no school has any right to harass parents and children.” Responding to complaints from parents, Gupta said her government is sending notices to schools accused of unjustified hikes.
“Parents have been meeting me with their grievances... that is for sure. No school has any right to harass parents and children. They have no right to threaten children and hike fees abnormally. There are rules and regulations (for fee hikes) which must be followed. If any school is found indulging in all these, then they will have to suffer,” Gupta told reporters. “We will be issuing notices today to all those schools regarding which we have received complaints,” she added.
The issue surfaced after parents protesting against a private school in Dwarka alleged that their children had been confined to the library for nearly 25 days as part of what they called a “library arrest.” One parent claimed that since March 20, the school management had been keeping students in the library during school hours.
Govt launches inspections, special complaints email
Delhi Education Minister Ashish Sood confirmed that an inspection team visited the school in Dwarka after receiving repeated complaints about fee hikes. He said sub-divisional magistrates (SDMs) across the city have been directed to inspect schools and collect responses to an 18-point questionnaire designed to assess regulatory compliance. Sood said, “A committee has also been formed comprising the deputy director of education and the director of accounts to look into the matter.” He added that a dedicated email ID has been launched for parents to file complaints about fee hikes.
AAP, BJP trade charges over issue
The issue has also triggered a political row, with Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders alleging a link between the BJP and private school managements. AAP Delhi president Saurabh Bharadwaj said, “Since April 1, several prominent private schools in Delhi have significantly hiked their fees, prompting protests from parents. The president of the Association of Unaided Private Schools management committees is an office bearer of the BJP's teachers' cell and he actively campaigned for the party in the Assembly polls.”
He added that the association had even gone to court during the AAP government's tenure seeking permission for fee hikes. “If the chief minister is unaware of the matter, she should immediately roll back the fee hike. If the government fails to act, it would clearly indicate that it is complicit,” Bharadwaj said.
Earlier, AAP leader Atishi had also alleged that several schools had raised tuition fees without oversight, and former education minister Manish Sisodia claimed fee hikes ranged from 20% to 82%, accusing the BJP government of handing Delhi’s education system to an “education mafia.”
BJP rejects allegations, cites audit of 1,665 schools
Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva hit back, saying AAP was trying to build a false narrative after its electoral defeat. “After losing power in Delhi due to huge corruption in education, power, water and health sectors, the AAP leaders are now trying to create perception that all is not well in the new BJP regime,” he said.
He added that Ashish Sood has ordered SDMs to conduct an audit of 1,665 private schools in Delhi. “Aam Aadmi Party leaders like Arvind Kejriwal, Saurabh Bharadwaj and Atishi among others are disgruntled and unable to accept the people of Delhi have rejected their government whose corruption sagas have few parallels across India,” Sachdeva said.
(With inputs from PTI)
