Private schools may decide on fees but should spend them only on development of institutes only and not for “buying Mercedes” or expanding their “teaching shop empire,” Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Tuesday warned.
The Delhi Education Minister said he has an “objection” if education is made into a “teaching shop”.
“My concern about private schools where fees are high is whatever amount you take from students should be spent on the same school. Then I don’t have a problem. If you are spending the money on the same school, then I am not bothered about how much you are charge. “But if you charge students and then buy your Mercedes cars or built luxurious homes... and spread your empire in different states and cities, then what mistake have these students done? Don’t do this by using the fees of these students, use some other source of income.
“Whatever money you take from students, spend it on the same school and then charge how much fees you want. But I have an objection if the money goes out of the school.
Because education is not a teaching shop. We will not allow this to happen and that’s our commitment,” Sisodia asserted.
He was responding to a question asked by a student over the high fees charged by private schools and quality of education in government schools at a function organised by Bharat Ahshara Social Organisation (BASO), an NGO working to build mohalla libraries and clinics.
Interestingly, the Delhi government had recently pulled up two private schools and ordered them to rollback the fee hike.