Extra Fees should be Refunded by 41 Private Schools: Panel to Delhi HC

According to the report submitted by the judicial panel which was set up by Delhi High court, 41 private schools are asked to refund the excess fees that they had taken from the parents in the year 2009 with proper interest attached.

Out of 1172 schools, a total of 81 schools were selected randomly by the three member committee to check into the facts related to these schools in the year 2011. With this report available the committee has examined financial records of almost 741 private schools in Delhi. The report has shocking results as many of the schools were found to be ‘unjustly’ increasing the fees and they are asked to return the same to the parents with atleast 9% interest attached with the amount.

Among the 41 schools in which the committee has asked for fees money refund, there are 7 schools for which special inspection orders has been passes which are to be conducted by the Director of Education. The remaining 34 schools were found to be charging ‘unjust’ fees from the parents.

The committee has set up by the Delhi High Court in August 2011, so that it can check the status of the financial record of various unaided private schools. It was done in order to check whether the schools are complying by the February 2009 notification given by the government regarding the hike in the tuition fees for private schools.

The order had come as part of a petition filed by an NGO called Social Jurists, in which they had alleged that the private schools had hiked the fees ‘unreasonably’, but they are not paying the salaries to the teaching and non-teaching staff as per the Sixth Pay Commission.