Unfair and unjustified fee hikes by private schools causes annual financial stress to parents across the country. Delhi government has taken several steps to ensure parents are not overcharged by schools. Recently, the AAP government issued notices to 449 private schools of Delhi warning them that if they failed to return excess fees to parents as ordered by the Delhi High Court, the government would be forced to take over the schools.
As of 26 August 2017,Times of India reported that over 150 schools had already initiated the refund of excess fees, with several others in various stages of compliance. Thousands of families have begun receiving cheques from schools of varying amounts, as specified by the High Court appointed Justice Anil Deo Singh Committee.
While this can appear to be an extreme step, it is the only reasonable remedy available to governments in law. Previous governments had not shown resolve in this matter because many private schools in Delhi are owned and managed by politicians. AAP’s ability to address the issue of private schools charging excess fees is a result of its honest politics funded by honest money. When politicians have no vested interests, their decisions reflect only what’s best for the people they represent!
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