Delhi's new school fee law puts parents in charge: Here's why it's not as simple as it sounds
NEW DELHI: The Delhi government has introduced the Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Bill, 2025, aiming to regulate fees in all private schools across the city.
Education Minister Ashish Sood stated that the law seeks to end arbitrary fee hikes and increase transparency by involving parents in the decision-making process.
The bill, passed in the Monsoon Session of the Delhi Assembly, extends fee regulation to all 1,700 private schools, closing a loophole from the 1973 rules which covered only 300 schools. It introduces committees comprising parents, teachers, school management, and government representatives to oversee fee fixation and grievance redressal, as reported by
PTI.
Key provisions of the bill and penalties for violations
According to the bill, fee proposals must be approved by school-level committees by July 15, district-level committees by July 30, and finalised by September. If no consensus is reached within 45 days, an appellate committee will intervene. Schools raising fees without government approval face fines ranging from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 10 lakh, with double penalties if excess fees are not refunded, as stated by the education minister in a
PTI
report.
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The bill grants the Director of Education powers akin to a sub-divisional magistrate, enabling uniform enforcement and action against violations. This includes the authority to take suo motu action when necessary.
Parental participation and grievance redressal mechanisms
The law formalises parental involvement in fee fixation, giving them veto power over fee increases. Ashish Sood explained in an interview with
The Times of India
(
TOI
) that the bill addresses concerns about individual parents holding schools hostage by requiring at least 15% parental support to file complaints. He described this as a necessary balance to prevent institutional paralysis, as quoted by
TOI
.
Sood highlighted that for the first time, parents have a clear channel to raise concerns not only about fees but also about infrastructure and school facilities. "Parents couldn't raise concerns about the lack of lab facilities, poor services, or absence of playgrounds. Now, for the first time, parents have been given that voice," he said.
Opposition and parents' protests
Despite these provisions, parent groups like the United Parents' Voice (UPV) have protested against the bill, alleging it was enacted without adequate public consultation. UPV staged a demonstration at Jantar Mantar, submitting a memorandum to the government demanding a rollback of unapproved fee hikes and independent audits by the Comptroller and Auditor General and forensic experts, as reported by
PTI.
Parents also criticised the bill's requirement for formal parental representation and the limit on individual complaints, claiming it restricts their ability to raise grievances. They called for monthly fee collection systems and transparency through government portals to ease financial burdens, and sought government-supervised elections for parent-teacher associations.
Legal and financial implications
Critics have argued that the bill limits recourse to civil courts for fee disputes.
However, Sood pointed out to TOI that Delhi has 600 civil courts but questioned whether any fee-related disputes have reached them, arguing that the bill's three-tier grievance redressal system is adequate. The Director of Education can receive complaints directly and escalate unresolved issues further.
The bill resets the fee structure from April 1, 2025, treating existing fees as proposed fees to be reviewed by the committees.
If a hike is deemed excessive, it will be rolled back; if justified, it may be permitted. Schools that fail to comply with these processes face penalties.
The 2025 bill represents a significant step towards regulating private school fees and involving parents in governance, aiming to address longstanding issues of arbitrary fee increases and lack of transparency. While the government maintains that the bill balances interests of all stakeholders, some parent groups remain sceptical, continuing to call for greater accountability and inclusive decision-making.
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