Veto power for parents, accountability: Education Minister allays concerns over Bill to regulate school fee in Delhi

Calling it a “historic Bill”, Sood said the reform will safeguard 18 lakh parents, “restoring their trust, transparency and giving them greater control”.

He also assured parents that their queries would be answered and that they would have a fair say in matters concerning their children’s education.

According to a statement issued by Sood’s office, around 200 parents from Janakpuri participated in the event and “shared several important suggestions with the Minister and requested him to address their concern”.

Ever since the Bill was proposed earlier this year, several protests have been held by groups of parents who have said that they were not included in discussions on the matter.

The Bill, which has now been sent to Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena for his nod, seeks to bring both recognised and unrecognised private schools under a uniform oversight mechanism for regulating fees. The change, Sood said, is meant to correct a “loophole in the 1973 law”, under which only 300 of Delhi’s 1,700 private schools were covered.

He told parents, “If any school increases fees without the government approval, it will face a fine ranging from `1 lakh to `10 lakh, and in case of failure to refund excess charges, double the penalty will be imposed.”

The statement underlined that the Directorate of Education will be given “powers similar to that of an SDM to ensure uniform action against all schools”.

At the event, plain sheets of paper were passed around to collect feedback. “One of the main concerns is the election of Parent Teacher Association members at the school level… to make sure that matters like fee hike will be taken up after giving due importance to the opinion of parents,” said Divya Mattey, a parent.

The Bill lays out a three-tier fee regulation framework — the School Level Fee Regulation Committee, the District Fee Appellate Committee, and a Review Committee.

At the school level, the committee will be chaired by a nominee of the management, including the principal as secretary, five parents drawn by lots from the PTA, three teachers, and a nominee from the Directorate of Education as an observer.

At least two members must be women and one from a Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe, or socially backward class.

The committee must meet before August 15 each year to unanimously approve the school’s proposed fee for the upcoming academic year, with revisions allowed only once every three years.

The official statement noted that the new process sets specific timelines “committee decision by 15 July, district-level decision by 30 July, and final decision by September.” If no decision is made within 45 days, the matter will be referred to the appellate committee.

A challenge to the proposed fee can be initiated by at least 15% of parents from the affected school.