After setting up committees to look into complaints of unjustified hikes in fees by private schools last week, the Aam Aadmi Party government on Monday asked Lieutenant-Governor Anil Baijal for 12 officials to staff the panels.
‘Higher salaries’
In a letter to Mr. Baijal, Deputy Chief Minister and Education Minister Manish Sisodia said the government had received many complaints about private schools increasing fees under the pretext of paying higher salaries as per the Seventh Central Pay Commission.
He said the Directorate of Education (DoE) had set up the Fee Anomaly Committee on December 12. Each district under the DoE will have a committee to which parents can complain about increased fee.
Unaided schools
In addition, Mr. Sisodia said the DoE will also audit the accounts of private schools on Delhi Development Authority land, as they are required to take permission before hiking fees.
Since there are about 1,500 unaided schools, Mr. Sisodia said there can be hundreds of complaints before each district committee.
The Minister said since the Deputy Directors of Education (DDEs) are integral to the government’s work to improve its own schools, 12 officers were needed to be posted in the private school branch.
“This is crucial for ensuring the smooth regulation of private schools, as well as ensuring high academic performance in Delhi Government schools,” Mr. Sisodia wrote.
He asked for 12 Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands Civil Service (DANICS) officers to be posted to the DoE. After a High Court order on August 4, 2016, ‘services’ are directly under the control of the L-G, not the elected government.
