The Delhi government on Wednesday approved the Bansal committee’s recommendation to hike the school fee for recognised un-aided private schools in five tiers.
The maximum slab of Rs. 500 hike in tuition fee has been set for top E-category schools that charges over Rs.2000 per month to each student in terms of tuition fee while the lowest slab of Rs. 100 has been fixed for A-category schools which levy up to Rs.500 as tuition fee to each student.
These categories are made on the basis of tuition fee, said Delhi government in a statement by adding that these hikes are the upper ceiling while schools are free to implement lower fee hike but not more than the upper cap.
Approving these fee hike, the Delhi Cabinet also stated that no more hike would be implemented before March 2010.
After the approval of Sixth Pay Commission’s recommendation, the Delhi government had constituted a committee headed by S L Bansal, a retired IAS officer, to examine the financial implications to meet the recommendations of Sixth Pay Commission for the recognised un-aided private schools.
After valuing the financial burden, Bansal Committee had submitted its report last year, which was later scrutinized by a committee chaired by the secretary of education.
Informing to media after cabinet meeting, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said, “The cabinet has carefully considered all aspects and has decided to suggest increase of monthly tuition fee in five slabs ranging from Rs.100-500 per month for 1,976 recognised un-aided private schools in Delhi.”
This fee hike would be effective from September 01, 2008 while the schools can ask the arrears – the difference money between the approved fee and the levied fee – in two installments but not before the six months difference, added Cabinet in the statement.
The Cabinet has suggested to charge the first installment of arrear by March 2009 and second in September 2009 while ‘the schools are free to prescribe later dates’, added statement.
Moreover, the state government has also instructed to all schools not to harass any students of class 10th and 12th appearing in the next board exams.
“No student appearing for 10th and 12th standard board examinations in 2009 shall be harassed by any school on account of non or delayed payment of any fees or arrears. Such students will neither be denied an admit card nor disallowed from appearing for the exams, or denied a school leaving certificate, transfer certificate, or any other document,” the government directed.
If any school is not satisfied with the approved recommendation, can go to the grievance redressal committee, which government has set up under Director (Education) for resolving all the complaints in these regards, the Cabinet said.
The schools are free to file their complaints before the redressal committee within 30 days from the issue of order, added cabinet.
The cabinet has also directed to all 1,976 recognised un-aided private schools to release the arrears of the teachers in two installments as like the teachers of the government schools would get. The first installment of 40% arrears should be given by April 1, 2009 while the remaining amount of the arrear would be prescribed to grant in October this year.
The state government is already paying the revised salary to all its 924 government and 217 government aided schools according to the recommendations of sixth pay commission.
But private schools are not happy with the latest decision of the Cabinet and threatened to move the court claiming for more hike.
The National Progressive Schools’ Conference – an umbrella of 150 private schools – has expressed its annoyance stating that private schools have not ample source of income like government schools, and it would be extremely tough for the school management to pay salaries to their staff.
The schools are demanding to hike the school fee by 40 to 60 percent.
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