Delhi Fee hike row: 30 students ‘expelled’ by pvt Dwarka school, parents protest

The protest is the latest flashpoint in a months-long standoff between the school and families

Tensions erupted outside Delhi Public School, Dwarka on Tuesday as dozens of parents staged a protest, accusing the school of expelling around 30 students whose families had refused to pay a fee hike recently deemed “unauthorised” by the Delhi high court. Parents alleged the school deployed additional security guards and set up barricades to block entry, while some claimed that children who managed to get in were pulled out of class, made to sit in the sun, or sent home without notice.

Parents outside the school during the protest. (HT Photo)

The protest is the latest flashpoint in a months-long standoff between the school and families, many of whom have refused to pay a revised fee that lacks approval from the Directorate of Education (DoE).

On Tuesday, several parents said they were shocked to receive an email on May 9 informing them that their children’s names had been struck off the rolls “with immediate effect” under Rule 35 of the Delhi School Education Act and Rules, 1973. Students, they said, were being randomly targeted and treated harshly.

To be sure, on April 16, the Delhi high court had strongly rebuked the school for what it called the “shabby and inhuman” treatment of students whose parents had not paid the increased fees. Justice Sachin Datta, citing an inspection report by the district magistrate, remarked that “the school deserves to be shut down” and warned that inability to pay fees does not entitle schools to subject students to “such indignity.” The court had directed the school to immediately stop confining students to the library or denying them access to classes and facilities. It also instructed the DoE to conduct regular inspections to ensure compliance.

Despite this, parents say the harassment has continued.

“Somehow, we managed to get our son into the school on Tuesday, but he was immediately asked to leave the class. When he refused, the class teacher physically removed him,” said Divya Mattey, whose child’s name had been struck off. “He was then made to sit in the school bus and dropped off two hours later while we were still protesting outside. No one informed us,” he added.

Another parent, Pinky Pandey, alleged the school stopped accepting the “authorised fee” as approved by the DoE from April onwards and later accused parents of non-payment. “We submitted cheques for April and May, but the school never deposited them. Then they claimed we didn’t pay and struck our children off the rolls,” she said. “My daughter was made to sit in a bus and we had no idea where she was for hours.”

Some parents said they fear their children could be the next to face punitive action. “My son’s fees were not accepted either, but we haven’t received a termination email yet,” said Chandan Kumar, another parent. “We’re living in fear. There were bouncers outside the school. Parents and children were pushed around. Is this how an educational institution should behave?”

Following the chaos, a DoE team reportedly visited the school, but no resolution was offered. Parents who interacted with officials said they were instead asked why they had not paid through the school’s designated payment app. “The app doesn’t allow us to edit the amount—we’d have to pay the full hiked fee. So we used cheques to pay the approved fee. But the school used that as a pretext to say we haven’t paid at all,” a parent said, requesting anonymity.

Tuesday’s incident has reignited scrutiny of private schools arbitrarily raising fees without prior approval from authorities—a long-standing issue that the Delhi government claims it is addressing through legislative reform. One of the key provisions of the Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Bill, 2025, is the introduction of stiff penalties for non-compliance. Under the proposed law, schools found violating fee regulations can be fined between ₹1 lakh and ₹10 lakh.

The Delhi government, however, has made it clear repeatedly that repeat offenders could lose government recognition entirely. “For too long, private schools raised fees at will. This bill ends that. No one will be allowed to act arbitrarily anymore,” Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta had said on April 29.

Following the April 16 court hearing, Gupta also promised “swift and strict” action against private schools that expel or harass students over fee disputes. That statement came on the heels of protests at Queen Mary’s School in Model Town, where students accused the administration of threatening expulsion for non-payment of revised fees.

When contacted for comment on Tuesday’s incident, DPS Dwarka principal Priya Narayanan did not respond to calls or messages. Manish Jain, deputy director of education (private school branch), was also unreachable.

As the standoff drags on, parents say they are determined to fight back. “We’re not just fighting for our children but for the principle that education should not be held hostage to arbitrary and unauthorised demands,” said Kumar. “We’re ready to take this all the way.”