Amid row over school fee hikes, Delhi education minister accuses previous government of 'mismanagement'

NEW DELHI: Delhi Education Minister Ashish Sood on Friday claimed "mismanagement" during the previous government had led to some city schools "unfairly" treating their students. His comments come after a high-level committee inspected the Delhi Public School (DPS), Dwarka, following allegations that it had expelled 32 students over an "arbitrary" fee hike and deployed bouncers to stop these students from entering the campus.

Sood said that following the inspection, the Directorate of Education (DoE) instructed the school to reinstate the expelled students within three days. The department also directed it to withdraw its earlier communication regarding the expulsion and to ensure that no student faces fee-related discrimination. The committee, which included the joint secretary of finance, the vice chancellor of a University in Delhi, the Director of Education, and a chartered accountant, was tasked with reviewing the matter.

According to an official, the Vice Chancellor of Dr BR Ambedkar University, Anu Singh Lather, led the committee and inspection of the school. In an official order on Thursday, the DoE stated that the school's actions violated court directions which prohibits schools from increasing fees without departmental approval. The High Court had earlier ruled that students cannot be removed from school rolls due to fee disputes and must not face any form of coercion or discrimination.

Mismanagement affects student treatment

Sood said, "Since 2020, the school has been involved in disputes over fee hikes, and the matter is still pending in court. Due to the mismanagement of the previous government, some schools in Delhi have started treating students unfairly." He added that the Directorate of Education has been instructed to take appropriate action in such cases and that neither schools nor parents should take legal matters into their own hands.

"All schools in Delhi must follow government rules and regulations," Sood said. More than 100 parents approached the Delhi High Court on Thursday, seeking protection for their children amid the ongoing dispute. They have requested the Delhi government and the Lieutenant Governor to intervene and take over the school's administration. In their petition, parents alleged that DPS Dwarka has been using pressure tactics to collect unapproved fees.

They claimed the school had earlier increased the monthly fee by Rs 7,000 and recently raised it to Rs 9,000 without official sanction. The DoE has asked the school to submit a compliance report within three days. There was no immediate reaction available from the school authority.