New Delhi, May 23: The Delhi High Court has made a significant ruling regarding fee hikes in private schools. The court stated that private schools in Delhi, which do not receive government aid, can increase their fees at the start of the new academic session without needing approval from the Directorate of Education (DoE).
According to the court’s decision, if a school raises its fees at the beginning of the academic year, it only needs to inform the DoE, and prior permission is not required. However, if a school wishes to increase fees during the academic session, approval from the DoE will be necessary.
In a relief for parents, the court also ruled that schools can no longer collect outstanding fees from previous years. This means that increased fees from the 2016-17 academic year or earlier cannot be demanded from parents. The last proposed fee hike by schools will only take effect from April 2027.
The court annulled all orders from the DoE that had rejected proposals for fee increases at the start of the academic session. It also dismissed pending proposals for fee hikes that were with the DoE.
Additionally, the court rejected the distinction made by the DoE between schools under the ‘land clause’ and those not subject to it. The court emphasized that the land clause, typically a condition in allotment letters, should operate within the framework of the Act and regulations and should not extend the legal powers of the DoE.
This ruling came in response to petitions filed by several private schools that challenged the DoE’s decisions to deny their fee increase proposals. The schools argued that the DoE’s repeated rejections were adversely affecting their financial autonomy.
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