Sisodia says take over of private schools ‘last resort’ before Delhi government

The government is sending show cause notices to 449 private unaided recognized schools after they failed to return excess fee charged from parents on the pretext of implementing 6th Pay Commission. Sisodia said taking over of the schools is the last resort with the government.

Seeking to assuage apprehensions of private schools, which have been given show cause notices on excess fee charged from parents, deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia said the government may not have to take action as many have started refunding the extra fee.

Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi Manish Sisodia (left) said only those schools which will not refund hiked fee will be taken over by the Delhi government. He was speaking during a Facebook Live session. (Sonu Mehta/HT Photo)

Sisodia said taking over of the schools is the last resort with the government.

The government is sending show cause notices to 449 private unaided recognized schools after they failed to return excess fee charged from parents on the pretext of implementing 6th Pay Commission.

A high-court appointed committee found the hike to be unreasonable and recommended that the hiked fee be refunded to parents along with a 9% interest.

“We are first sending show cause notices to schools on why the government should not take over them if they don’t return the excess fees. We may not even have to take over because schools have already started returning the excess fee and hopefully others will do, too,” he said.

Sisodia said this during a Facebook live with Atishi Marlena, his advisor on education matters.

Sisodia said the takeover, anyway, will have no direct impact on students and teachers. “The school will function as it is with the teachers, staff, academics and fees being same. Only the management will be under the government and we will handle the finances,” he said.

Sisodia said the government has no intention to interfere in the functioning with private schools but they will have to if the schools don’t follow rules. “Schools can provide all the facilities they want and charge for it. But if you charge for certain facilities but divert the fees to open new schools in other cities, then we will intervene,” he said.

Sisodia also alleged the previous governments could not do anything on the issue as politicians held stakes in private schools. “Whichever party was in government, the politicians from that party took land and opened private schools. How would they have asked schools to not hike fee,” he alleged.