The Education Department has sought the help of District Magistrates (DMs) to ensure that the private schools don’t charge re-admission fees and caution money from the parents. On the initiative of the Education Minister, Arvind Pandey a Government Order (GO) dated April 27, prohibits all schools situated in Uttarakhand and affiliated by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), ICSE and Uttarakhand board from charging readmission fee and asking caution money from the parents.
The education department has entrusted the task of implementing the GO on the district level officers of department. After complaints of parents that the some private schools are still charging readmission fees, the education department has now decided to take the help of DMs.
In a letter directed to all DMs, the Director General (DG) school education, Captain Alok Shekhar Tiwari has said that the GO on readmission fees and caution money cannot be effectively implemented without active support from the district administration. The DG has suggested that the DMs should constitute Tehsil level committees headed by Sub Divisional Magistrates (SDM). The committee would have Deputy Education Officer as member secretary while concerning Block Education Officer (BEO) and a police officer would be the members of this committee whose primary objective would be to ensure that no school in their jurisdiction charges readmission fees and seeks caution money and thus prevent harassment of parents. The DG has directed the Chief Education Officers (CEO) of all districts to hold weekly review of functioning of these committees.
Within days of his assuming charge of education ministry, Arvind Pandey has clearly stated that harassment of the parents by the private schools would be stopped. His order of ban on readmission fee and caution money is being appreciated by all. However the parents are of view that the hegemony of the private schools would get stopped only when the State Government implements the Private School Regulatory Authority act.