In a move to regulate exorbitant fees charged by private schools in Haryana, the Manohar Lal Khattar Government has amended the Haryana School Education Rules, 2003, linking the annual fee hike with the consumer price index.
A penalty of upto `2 lakh and withdrawal of recognition of private schools violating the new fee norms have also been introduced in the State.
According to the Haryana School Education (Amendment) Rules, 2021 notified by the State Government, a recognised (private/unaided) school may increase the fee chargeable for its existing students by itself every year, equivalent to average percentage per capita increase of monthly salary of teaching staff of previous year, but the fee increase shall not exceed latest available yearly percentage increase in consumer price index plus five per cent. Apart from this, the private schools will not raise the fee during the academic year and indulge in profiteering.
However, the private schools shall be free to determine the fee chargeable for new students seeking fresh admission in any class in a particular academic year.
“There are around 8900 private schools in Haryana. The Education Department had received a large number of complaints from parents against unprecedented fee hike by private schools especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Following this, the Haryana School Education (Amendment) Rules, 2021 have been notified to regulate and monitor the fee structure in private schools,” said a senior officer of Haryana Government while talking to The Pioneer.
The officer said that under the new rules, fee has been defined as fee and fund that a recognized school shall collect from the student.
At the time of admission, irrespective of the grade or class in which a student is entering the school, the school authorities will now have to provide the parent or guardian, a statement stating the complete fee structure upto Class XII for that year as declared to the State Education Department in form VI.
It is mandatory for the management of every recognized school to submit details of minimum facilities being provided and maximum of all mandatory fee components to be charged by submitting form VI to the Education Department.
The Fee and Fund Regulatory Committee at the divisional level under the chairmanship of Divisional Commissioner will conduct inquiry into the cases of violations and such enquiry shall be completed in a period not exceeding more than three months.
If a school is found violating the provisions under rule 158 (related to fees and funds in unaided schools) of Haryana School Education (Amendment) Rules 2021, the Fee and Fund Regulatory Committee has now been authorized to impose penalty of Rs 30000 for schools up to primary level; Rs 50000 for schools up to middle level and Rs 1 lakh for schools up to secondary and senior secondary level for first such violation.
Similarly, for second such violation, the recognized school will be punishable with imposition of a penalty, which may extend to Rs 60000 for primary level schools; Rs 1 lakh for schools up to middle level and Rs 2 lakh for schools up to secondary and senior secondary level. For the third such violation, in addition to the penalty imposed for the second violation, the Fee and Fund Regulatory Committee may make a recommendation to the Director, School Education Department for withdrawal of recognition of such school. Also, the Director will have to take a decision in such cases within three months.
Among other key provisions introduced by the State Government, no student will now be compelled to purchase books, workbooks, stationery, shoes, socks, uniform etc only from a shop recommended by the school and no private school shall change its uniform before five consecutive academic years. The fee will now be collected by the private schools on a monthly or bimonthly or quarterly basis. No school shall mandate collection of fees on six monthly or annual basis, the new rules stated.
The State Government has also defined the mandatory fee components which will include prospectus and registration fee to be payable only once at the time of registration; admission fee to be payable at the time of new admission to the school or at the time of admission in class 1st, 6th, 9th & 11th; examination fee to be payable for board examinations only and composite fee-single head recurring fee for all common facilities payable by all students.
The optional fee components to be charged from students will include transport, boarding, mess or dining, excursions and any other similar activity.
Under the new rules, the mandatory criteria of annual fee increase will not be applicable to the primary schools where sum total of mandatory fee components is less than or equal to Rs 12,000 per annum; middle, secondary and senior secondary schools where sum total of mandatory fee components is less than or equal to `15,000 per annum.