Patna: Private schools told to upload fee structure to their sites

PATNA: The principals of private schools have been asked to get websites ready by March 31 and upload their fee structure for the next academic year, Patna divisional commissioner Sanjay Kumar Agarwal said on Tuesday.
“The websites should be updated for parents to get all required information about the schools, including admission fees, development charge, list of books, dresses and other facilities,” he said.
The regional deputy director of education (RDDE), Surendra Sinha, was instructed to keep a check on the increment in fee of private schools. “If a school has increased its fee beyond the prescribed limit, then parents, students and even teachers can complain about it to the RDDE. They can also raise fee-related issue or lodge complaints through email to rdde.patna@gmail.com,” he said.
“Schools are not allowed to increase their fees more than 7%. Action would be taken under Bihar Private School Fees Regulations Act, if they are caught doing so. However, those who want to increase the fee, will have to submit documents with appropriate reasons to the Fee Regulatory Committee six months prior to the new academic session,” he said.
Furthermore, all private schools were advised to submit the details of fee structure during academic session 2019-20 and 2020-21 to district education officer (DEO) Jyoti Kumar.
The DEO has been asked to hold meetings with the registration committee of private schools every month. “A software should be developed for registration of students in private schools,” Agarwal said.
The directives were issued in regulation to Bihar Private Schools (Fee Regulation) Act, 2019, passed by the legislative assembly in February last year. “In the last academic session (2018-19), no complaint was received from parents about the fee charged by schools in violation to the Act,” Agarwal said.
Meanwhile, parents hailed the new directives. Saguna Mor resident Sanjay Singh said: “It is a major sigh of relief for me. I have always been worried due to illogical increase in my son’s school fee structure.”