By Our Staff Reporter
Dehradun, 27 May: In response to an RTI query, the Education Department of Uttarakhand has claimed that private schools in the state are allowed to collect fees only to cover their operational costs and not for the personal benefit of management or for increasing the school’s assets. This claim has been made in response to an RTI enquiry seeking details about action taken against private schools allegedly exploiting parents through excessive fees, books, and uniform charges.
According to the official response, the department has strictly prohibited private schools from collecting any fees under heads not specified by the government. Schools have also been barred from charging re-admission fees or caution money for subsequent academic sessions after the initial admission. If any school has collected fees beyond the permissible heads or amounts, they are required to refund the excess amount to the parents.
The Education Department has issued clear instructions to all Chief Education Officers through a circular from the Director General of School Education dated 2 April 2025 and a letter from the Director Secondary Education dated 24 March 2025. These directives instruct all schools to strictly follow the CBSE notification dated 18 October 2018, and the orders of the Uttarakhand High Court issued in April 2018 regarding fee regulation.
The department’s letter emphasises that schools must not collect any donations or fees for admission purposes except under the heads as allowed by government rules. Fee hikes must also strictly follow the government’s prescribed procedure. Schools have been warned that violation of these rules may result in cancellation of their recognition and imposition of penalties.
Further, in compliance with the High Court’s orders, private schools cannot force students to buy books from specific booksellers or prevent them from using old textbooks. Additionally, all school buses transporting students must be equipped with cameras for safety.
The Education Department has reiterated that, if any extra fees have been collected from students, schools must immediately refund the amount to the parents. All these measures have been put in place to ensure transparency and protect the interests of students and their families.
