Delhi government invites proposals from private schools for fee hike after two years

In a bid to check fee hikes by private schools, the Directorate of Education (DoE) of the Delhi government has dictated that prior approval must be sought in order to hike fees. Those private schools that are being run on government land in Delhi can submit proposals for a fee hike for the current academic year 2022-23. It has been made clear by the department that these schools cannot hike fees without prior approval from the Delhi government. 

The department has reiterated that the schools cannot hike fees without its prior nod. In a circular, the DOE said, "All the pending fee hike proposals submitted by the private unaided recognised schools running on the land allotted by the DDA (Delhi Development Authority) or other land-owning agencies...for session 2020-2021 have become infructuous...such schools may submit their fee hike proposals, if any, for the session 2022 23," reported PTI.

The schools can submit their fee-hike proposals for the current academic year between June 12 and June 27. It is after two years now that the Delhi government has sought fee-hike proposals. Under guidelines issued by the DoE, schools had been directed not to collect any tuition fee and were prohibited from increasing the fee after the lockdown was imposed in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The proposal submitted by the schools shall be scrutinised and examined by the Director of Education through any officer or team authorised on this behalf. All such schools are strictly directed not to increase any fee until the sanction is conveyed to their proposal by the Director of Education. In case no proposal is submitted by the school in response to this order, the school shall not increase its fee for the academic session 2022-23," the circular said.