In a first, 2 private schools of Noida to return hiked fees

In a first, two private schools in Noida have agreed to roll back hiked fees and return the excess to the parents, the district education department informed, after continued agitation by the parents’ body against “arbitrary fee hike” by schools which was not in accordance with the UP school fee regulatory act.

The district inspector of school (DIOS) PK Upadhyay said two schools, Cambridge School in Sector 27 and Bal Bharti School in Sector 21, have agreed to return hiked fees. While Cambridge School management agreed to return hiked amount per semester (₹17,000), Bal Bharti School has decided to return ₹7,000 as hiked amount in one semester.

“We had served notices to the two schools regarding hiked fees in the past and they have now agreed to roll it back. Till now, we have got confirmation from two schools only. We are probing other schools which have also hiked fees,” Upadhyay said.

The move comes after continued agitation by the All Noida Schools’ Parents’ Association (ANSPA) against “arbitrary fee hike” which is not in accordance with the Uttar Pradesh Self Finance Independent Schools (Regulation of Fees) Act. The ordinance was first brought into motion on April 9, 2018 and the Act was enforced in August this year.

According to K Arunachalam, general secretary of the ANSPA, they had sent a complaint to the DIOS regarding six private schools, namely Apeejay School, Somervillle School, Amity International School, Delhi Public School, Noida, Cambridge School and Bal Bharti School, for increasing fees in an alleged arbitrary manner.

“Although we have received information regarding two schools agreeing to roll back hiked fees, they have not done it yet. If schools really intend to adjust the hiked amount with the future fees, they have to do it in the next quarter. It has been four months since the Act has been enforced, however, no private school has followed it yet,” Arunachalam said.

On November 3, the district magistrate of Gautam Budh Nagar had held a meet with principals of all private schools in the district and asked them to decided their fee structure as per the newly regulated Act and upload it on their school’s website within a week’s time.

Reacting to allegations of inaction by the district fee regulatory committee, Upadhyay said, “We will decide in the next committee meeting on schools which do not follow the fees Act.”

However, Asha Prabhakar, principal of Bal Bharti School, denied claims made by the DIOS.

“We had already returned the hiked fees to parents in July this year. The ordinance came in April and we were told to roll back hiked fees. There was a rise of ₹7,000 in the first quarter and we returned the amount in the second quarter fees. The claims of DIOS that Bal Bharti School has agreed to roll back fees now only is untrue,” Prabhakar said.

The management of the Cambridge School could not be contacted at the time of this report going to publication.