Fee regulation bill triggers outrage from parents, others

Time of India

2 days ago

New Delhi: Delhi govt's Fee Regulation Bill for private schools, slated for introduction in the upcoming assembly session beginning Aug 4, has triggered sharp criticism from education activists, parent groups and the opposition that alleges it entrenches bureaucratic overreach and disempowers parents.
The bill proposes a multi-tiered structure comprising school-level committees, district appellate bodies, and a state revision committee to scrutinise, approve or reject school fee proposals. Critics argue that instead of ensuring transparency, the bill creates confusing and overlapping layers of control.
Education activist Ashok Agarwal called the bill "totally confusing and unworkable," suggesting that "one effective fee committee headed by a retired high court judge, a chartered accountant, and a DoE representative would have sufficed."
He warned that the bill, in its present form, will "lead to endless controversies and litigation."
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A major concern is the requirement that at least 15% of parents must jointly file a complaint for it to be considered. "In a school with 3,000 students, getting signatures from 450 parents is near to impossible," said AAP Delhi state president Saurabh Bharadwaj. "This is a direct conspiracy to ensure no complaint can ever be filed."
Bharadwaj also highlighted that the bill scraps audit provisions and removes prior approval clauses that applied to schools on govt land. "Despite earlier promises, govt has erased all audit mechanisms from the bill. Where are the audit reports that were promised in April?" he asked.
Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said Bharadwaj had bypassed his own legislative party leader, making premature comments on the education bill for self-promotion.
"It would have been better if Saurabh Bharadwaj had waited until the bill was tabled in the monsoon session before commenting on it," he said.
The composition of school-level committees has drawn particular ire, as five out of ten members will represent the school, and parent representatives will be selected via a lottery conducted by the school itself. Critics allege this system gives school management disproportionate control.
Educationist Mahesh Mishra echoed these concerns, saying the bill "validates parents' fears" and "legalises commercialisation of education under govt protection." He noted the absence of annual CAG audits and said the bill is "not just anti-parent, but a direct attack on the middle class."
Refuting the allegations, Delhi education minister Ashish Sood said the criticism was politically motivated and ignored the policy's intent. "All these days critics were saying the bill hasn't been framed. Now that we have framed it, got it approved by the cabinet, and are introducing it well before the session, they are calling it undemocratic," Sood told TOI. "Those who could not regulate fee hikes for 27 years — under whom so many litigations occurred — are now raising questions about a policy that aims to curb malpractices?"
On the charge of bureaucratic complexity, Sood said: "It is the first time that parents, teachers and non-teaching staff have been included as stakeholders.
When they are part of the system, how will it create bureaucratic hurdles? Having different layers doesn't mean hierarchy. It means participation. We are putting a system in place that will demolish the 'Shiksha Kranti' narrative used to exploit parents."
With widespread fee hikes, up to 82% in some schools, already implemented this April, opposition leaders questioned how the bill plans to roll them back. "This law protects the education mafia, not the parents," Bharadwaj said, demanding answers from the chief minister and education minister.
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