AAP says Delhi govt bill on school fee hike favours private school owners, holds protest

NEW DELHI : Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs on Monday protested against a bill to regulate fee hikes by schools in the Delhi Assembly premises, calling it a "sham" designed to favour private school owners. The Delhi School Education Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees Bill, 2025 was tabled on the first day of the Monsoon session of the assembly. AAP legislators, led by Leader of Opposition Atishi, protested in front of Mahatma Gandhi's statue.

Calling the bill a "calculated sham", former Delhi chief minister Atishi accused the BJP-led government of protecting private school interests rather than those of parents. "This bill is not about transparency. It is about facilitating fee hikes by private schools . The BJP has delayed this bill since April so that schools could increase fees unchecked," she alleged.

Atishi said the bill, brought to the assembly in the ongoing Monsoon session, lacks any provision for a rollback of hiked fees and proposes a fee fixation committee that would be headed by the school management itself. She demanded that the bill be referred to a select committee for wider consultation and urged the government to freeze school fees at 2024-25 levels until the legislation is finalised.

Also read Only 34.8% female teachers in JNVs; UP sees critical shortage at higher secondary level: Govt

"The AAP will continue to fight for the rights of Delhi's parents and children. The BJP will have to listen," she said. The AAP MLAs on Monday walked out of the House proceedings over the bill.