The issue of fee hikes in 1,976 unaided private schools in the national capital region (NCR) of Delhi has snowballed into a major legal-cum-street battle as parental protests grow louder, with the issue under consideration of both the state government and the Delhi high court. On the one hand, private school managements are determined to safeguard their right to raise tuition fees to the extent that they deem reasonable, without bowing to pressure and political tactics. On the other, middle class parents are forming pressure groups and gathering support from resident welfare associations and education activists, to protest fee hikes.According to sources in the Delhi state governments education department, under the terms and conditions of the mandatory NOC (no-objection certificate) issued to school promoters before they commence operations, the latter are obliged to get all tuition fee increases approved by the education department. This is also mandated by s.17 (3) of the Delhi Education Act, 1973 which requires every private school to file a full statement of fees with the education department at the commencement of every academic year, which cannot be changed during the year.
The fee hike controversy started when the Delhi state government raised the salaries of its teachers to the levels recommended by the Sixth Pay Commission. Soon after, there was pressure on private schools to follow suit as per regulations of the Delhi Education Act, which mandates equal pay for all teachers. However with private school managements stating that to comply, they need to raise tuition fees by 45-50 percent, the Delhi government constituted a committee headed by retired bureaucrat S.L. Bansal, which in its reports submitted on October 17, 2008 and February 11 this year approved tuition fee increases of Rs.100-500 per month for schools in five categories, with a maximum increase of Rs.500 per month.
On March 20, the Delhi high court admitted a PIL (public interest litigation) filed by Delhi Abhibhavak Mahasangh and supported by NGO Social Jurist and the Faith Academy Parents Association protesting the tuition fee increases recommended by the Bansal Committee. The petitioners have argued that without making the report of the Bansal Committee public and inviting objections and suggestions, the government has acted arbitrarily and aided private schools resorting to blatant commercialisation of education.
The Action Committee of Private Unaided Schools, which believes the Bansal Committees recommendations are too modest, is to announce joint action shortly. There is no question of bowing to the diktats of parents who want international quality education at rural India prices, declares S.K. Bhattacharya, president of the committee.
The resources we need, to cope with the Pay Commission parity directive of the state government is a 50-70 percent increase in tuition fees. The state government itself spends Rs.1,800-2,000 per child. Why cant we charge similar fees to pay our teachers better salaries and provide better infrastructure and support services, which is in the interest of children? asks Bhattacharya.
A good question which parents need to ponder before inviting government intervention, the kiss of death.
Autar Nehru (Delhi)