Delhi govt cancels recognition of private school over arbitrary fee hike

The Delhi government cancelled the recognition of a top private school in Pitampura on Friday over an arbitrary fee hike aimed at profiteering and commercialisation of education by exploiting parents.

The government has also barred Bal Bharti School from taking any admissions from the new academic session in 2022 and maintained that the school will be allowed to complete the ongoing session.

From the next session, the current students will be shifted to nearby recognised schools with consent of parents and the fee already paid will be adjusted.

Calls and text messages to the school principal seeking response on the issue went unanswered.

"The continued violation of the legal directions of Directorate of Education on the part of Bal Bharati Public School, Pitampura, Delhi establishes that the school has not been functioning in accordance with the provisions of DSEAR, 1973, directions and guidelines of the department issued from time to time, the DoE said in an official order.

"This gross failure in complying with the condition of recognition has resulted in continued harassment and exploitation of the parents of the school and its indulgence in profiteering and commercialisation of education by exploiting the parents by charging unwarranted and illegally increased fees. Thus the school should not continue as to be recognised hence is liable for withdrawal of recognition," the order added.

Noting the conditions of withdrawing the recognition, the DoE said the school will be allowed to complete the session 2021-22 with recognition.

"After the completion of the session, all students of the school shall be shifted to the nearby recognised schools run by the Child Education Society (Regd) or to nearby government schools with the consent of the parents. Fees already paid shall, accordingly, be adjusted, the order said.

"The school shall not take any admissions from the 2022-23 session. All staff of the school (teaching, non-teaching and other) shall be adjusted by the Child Education Society in its other recognized schools within the jurisdiction of the NCT of Delhi," it added.

The department said the society shall, henceforth, be the custodian of all records of the Bal Bharati Public School, for all purposes and will be bound to produce the same before DoE or any other authority as and when asked for.

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in July had announced that the Delhi government would take over the management of a private school in Rohini over alleged arbitrary fee hike and received the required approvals from the lieutenant government's office.