The Delhi government has filed a special leave petition in the Delhi High Court against the order. (File)Days, after the Delhi High Court set aside a Delhi government order, asking private schools to take permission before hiking fee, a South Delhi school, has written to parents informing them that they will have to pay arrears as well as the hiked fee in the coming months.
In 2017, the Delhi government had passed an order saying that private schools could effect an interim fee hike till the time their accounts are audited and it is ascertained that a hike is necessary to offset the seventh pay commission salary hike to teachers. However, it withdrew the order last year, with officials saying that several schools were hiking fee by up to 25% in an unjustified manner. Following this, several school associations had gone to court against the withdrawal of the interim fee hike order.
On Thursday, Apeejay School, Sheikh Serai, wrote to parents and said they will have to pay arrears accrued between January 2016 and March 2019, amounting between Rs 3,407 and 33,215, depending on when their ward joined the school. It also said that school fee will be hiked by Rs 575 per month, starting next month. The school, however, gave parents an option to pay the arrears in installments. It also said requests for exemption from paying arrears would be entertained.
The Delhi government has filed a special leave petition in the Delhi High Court against the order.
“The petition will be heard soon. In any case, schools hiking fee in such a manner is not within the ambit of law. The High Court has set aside the order stopping interim fee hike. In the meantime, accounts of schools were audited. Some of them were allowed a fee hike, while the others were refused on the basis of their account audit. If the condition for the interim fee hike does not exist, where does the question of hiking fee without permission arise?” said Education Minister Manish Sisodia.
The court is expected to hear the matter next week.
