Bihar CM Choudhary to private schools: Declare your fee structure, allow students to buy uniform and books from anywhere
CM Samrat Choudhary also stated that students will not be barred from appearing in examinations or withheld from receiving results if fees are pending.
Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary said that students of private schools would be free to buy their uniforms and textbooks from the open market, Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary on Wednesday directed private schools to declare their fee structure, following a flurry of complaints about the institutions charging exorbitant fees. There are over 10,000 private schools in the state.
The CM said that students of private schools would be free to buy their uniforms and textbooks from the open market, indicating that the schools found compelling parents to buy books, stationery, or uniforms from specific vendors or from the school itself would now face action.
CM Choudhary wrote in X post: “An important step has been taken to curb arbitrariness in private schools across the state, regulate fees, and protect the interests of students and parents. Private schools will now be required to publicly disclose complete fee details. Arbitrary fee hikes and unnecessary charges will be prohibited. In addition, students and parents will have the freedom to purchase books and uniforms from anywhere”.
The CM also stated that students will not be barred from appearing in examinations or withheld from receiving results if fees are pending.
“Strict action will be taken in case of violation of the order. This will make the education system in the state more transparent, fair, and accessible,” he stated on X.
According to the education department, the state government is entitled to place a “cap” on the fee structure of private schools that are governed by the Bihar Private Schools (Fees Regulation) Act, 2019. In 2024, the Patna High Court upheld the Act as constitutionally valid.
Under the Act, a school can increase its fee annually by a maximum of seven per cent. However, there is a general complaint about most schools charging miscellaneous fees, besides tuition fees.
An officer said that the education department could categorise schools and put a cap on their fee structure accordingly. “In case of any school wishing to charge more than seven per cent, it has to send a proposal to the Fee Regulatory Committee (FRC) at least six months before the start of the new session. The hike has to be justified with details of the rise in teachers’ and other staff’s salaries and improvement in school infrastructure”, said the officer.
He said that schools would have to publish their entire free structure on their websites.
Education Minister Mithilesh Tiwari told The Indian Express that the government is introducing multiple education reforms to ensure better management of both private and government schools. “For government schools, we are beginning with cutting down bureaucratic rigmaroles. We are stopping the practices of issuing intermittent letters by several authorities. It only creates confusion. There will be a uniform rule book now”.
There are 75,000 government schools in Bihar.
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