Cannot cap private school fees, says Ghaziabad District Magistrate

The Ghaziabad district administration on Wednesday expressed their inability to check the issue of ‘arbitrary’ fee-hike by private schools and only a state level committee can address the issue.

The Ghaziabad district administration on Wednesday expressed their inability to check the issue of ‘arbitrary’ fee-hike by private schools and only a state level committee can address the issue.

Ghaziabad DM Ministhy S (right) said that the issue of 'arbitrary' fee hike will now be decided by the newly formed state level committee. (Sakib Ali/HT Photo)

District magistrate Ministhy S on Wednesday clarified that a state level committee had been formed by the administration and was empowered to look into the issue. The state committee comprises nine members, including principal secretaries, secretaries and directors of secondary education and higher education departments and the secretary (basic education).

“We have no control over the issue of fee hike and only the state level committee is empowered to take any decision about the said,” Ministhy said.

The state-committee, according to officials, also has representation from a private school in Ghaziabad, an educationist from Lucknow University and a journalist from Lucknow. However, parents or their associations have not been given any representation.

“How can parents expect transparency when we have no representation in the state committee? The parents will be on the losing side. And, why has a representative of a school been included?” said Neeraj Bhatnagar, a parent, whose daughter was rusticated from a school after he staged protest over the issue of fee hike.

Earlier, district magistrate Ministhy S had ordered the formation of a district level committee and the officials had asked the schools to submit details of accounts and others after complaints by the parents and several associations. The district committee is to submit the report to the DM, who will pass it on to the state committee.

“Some schools have forwarded their account details. Those who have not submitted have been asked to state the reason or any court directions/government order for not doing so. We had asked the schools about their replies on 17 points. Some of them flatly refused to divulge details,” said Rajesh Yadav, additional district magistrate (finance) who heads the district committee.

During meetings with parents’ association and private schools earlier, the district officials had asked private schools to abstain from charging annual-fee.

Parents have been at loggerheads about the issue of ‘arbitrary’ fee hike for past two months and have repeatedly staged protests and also forwarded their complaints to the district administration about nearly 28 schools in Ghaziabad.