Former Delhi chief minister and Leader of Opposition Atishi on Wednesday claimed a secret meeting between education minister Ashish Sood and owners of private schools.
She said that Sood has assured private school owners that the BJP government will come up with such an order where they will be allowed to increase the 10 per cent fee every year.
Addressing a press conference, she said that a meeting was organized at Sood’s house on April 6.
“We have received very big news. Information has been received from reliable sources that on Sunday, April 6, at 1 pm, Ashish Sood had a meeting with private school owners at his residence,” she said.
She raised several questions on the BJP government and asked Sood how much money he got from private schools for cheating the parents of Delhi.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and BJP government have been at the loggerheads on the issue of unfair fee hike by private schools.
Earlier, the Directorate of Education (DoE) intensified its monitoring of private schools and initiated a complete crackdown.
Some schools have been accused by many guardians of using coercive methods, including the withholding of admit cards for board examinations or threatening to expel students for outstanding, supposedly unauthorised fees.
In order to address the issue, the top-level teams including district magistrate-led teams have been entrusted with investigating fee-related complaints.
Under the investigation, if the schools found violating the Delhi School Education Act and Rules, 1973 can be suspended or they may lose their school recognition. It can also lead to the potential government takeover of their management.
Fees charged by recognised private schools in Delhi are governed by the Delhi School Education Act and Rules, 1973. Through its past judgments, courts in the national capital have directed the DoE to ensure that recognised private schools do not hike fees arbitrarily and illegally.
