Noida DM forms committee to examine fee hike by pvt schools

Following several complaints and protests by the parents over an alleged arbitrary hike in school fees, district magistrate NP Singh has constituted a committee to examine the grounds on which the fees have been increased.

The committee will check whether the school fee is increased following the guidelines issued by Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE).

In the first phase, the committee will examine Delhi Public School in sector 132 and Cambridge School in sector 27 Noida as a large number of complaints have been against these two reputed schools.

The parents have alleged that the private schools in Noida, every year, increase their fees abnormally which is a burden on the parents.

The fee hike consists of unnecessary charges including forcing parents to buy uniforms for their children from the school or buying books other than those prescribed by CBSE/NCERT.

The committee comprises the city magistrate, the District inspector of schools and District Education Officer.

It has to submit its report to the DM in a week.

He has assured action against schools found to have increased their fees arbitrarily.

"To address the grievances of aggrieved parents, it has been decided to constitute a committee that will look into the manner in which the fee has been hiked.

We have already directed the schools not to affect any child of the parents involved in protests.

The committee will focus on the unnecessary charges levied by the schools on the parents such as forcing to buy stationary or dress from any particular shop and asking for random charges which do not provide any benefit to the student," said N.P Singh, District Magistrate, Noida.

He also stated that though these schools are affiliated to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), state government can step in if they have been revising their fees arbitrarily.

"The committee will make sure that the no-objection certificate (NOC) is given to them by the CBSE for the fee hike," added Singh.