Alleging complete failure of Directorate of Education (DOE) of Delhi government to curb exhorbitant and arbitrary fee hikes by private schools in the city, 20 parents of Arwachin International School in Dilshad Garden has approached the Delhi High Court demanding action against the school. The court on Tuesday directed the DOE to investigate into the matter and take decision within eight weeks.
‘The school is indulging in profiteering and commercialisation of education. The management has made huge investments in various colleges,’ alleged Ashok Agarwal, the advocate representing the petitioner.
‘It is a violation of the Right to Education which is a fundamental right. The parents are being fleeced by private schools as DOE has not taken action against these schools,’ he added.
In the writ petition, the parents, whose wards are studying from LKG to class XI, have alleged that the school is maintaining SUVs and luxury cars like BMW, Audi, Toyota at their cost. Besides, the Parent’s Joint Action Committee, formed by as many as 20 individual parents, is also a petitioner in the case. In that, the parents have alleged that the school management has made huge investments in various colleges and even opened an international school at Pilukhwa, Uttar Pradesh, under the name of Arwachin World Business School.
The school has allegedly increased annual fees by 190-245% during the last four years with an average increase of 47-61% each year. It is submitted that the development charges have been hiked by 121-145% during the last four years, with an average increase of 30-362% per year. Similarly, tuition fee has been hiked by an average of 15-48% each year.
It is submitted that the profit of the school has increased 300-500% every year as it is charging almost 300-500% more as annual and development charges from new admissions. The school management has not only hiked fees arbitrarily as stated above but also increased transport charges by more than 50-100% despite substantial decrease in CNG prices.
It is pertinent to mention here that private schools in Delhi are allowed to hike up to 20% annually and DOE has a fee monitoring committee to curb arbitrary fee hike by private schools.
‘The school is indulging in profiteering and commercialisation of education. The management has made huge investments in various colleges,’ alleged Ashok Agarwal, the advocate representing the petitioner.
‘It is a violation of the Right to Education which is a fundamental right. The parents are being fleeced by private schools as DOE has not taken action against these schools,’ he added.
In the writ petition, the parents, whose wards are studying from LKG to class XI, have alleged that the school is maintaining SUVs and luxury cars like BMW, Audi, Toyota at their cost. Besides, the Parent’s Joint Action Committee, formed by as many as 20 individual parents, is also a petitioner in the case. In that, the parents have alleged that the school management has made huge investments in various colleges and even opened an international school at Pilukhwa, Uttar Pradesh, under the name of Arwachin World Business School.
The school has allegedly increased annual fees by 190-245% during the last four years with an average increase of 47-61% each year. It is submitted that the development charges have been hiked by 121-145% during the last four years, with an average increase of 30-362% per year. Similarly, tuition fee has been hiked by an average of 15-48% each year.
It is submitted that the profit of the school has increased 300-500% every year as it is charging almost 300-500% more as annual and development charges from new admissions. The school management has not only hiked fees arbitrarily as stated above but also increased transport charges by more than 50-100% despite substantial decrease in CNG prices.
It is pertinent to mention here that private schools in Delhi are allowed to hike up to 20% annually and DOE has a fee monitoring committee to curb arbitrary fee hike by private schools.