A five-member special team will be constituted at the district level in Dhanbad to ensure compliance with decisions taken during the District Fee Committee meeting regarding fee regulation in recognised public schools. This decision was made following the District Level Fee Committee meeting held on April 22 under the chairmanship of Deputy Commissioner Aditya Ranjan.
Directives Issued to Private Schools
According to directives issued by the district education superintendent, all principals of private schools have been instructed to strictly adhere to the guidelines related to school fees and make them public before the start of the academic session. Schools are required to upload complete fee details on their official websites every January. Action will be initiated against institutions that have failed to publish the prescribed fee structure on their websites during the current session.
Fee Hike Audit and Cap
Deputy Commissioner Aditya Ranjan stated that an audit would be conducted to examine fee hikes implemented by schools since 2021. He said, “As per the existing norms, schools cannot increase fees by more than 10% within two years. Therefore, all institutions will have to publicly disclose their fee details.” This measure aims to prevent arbitrary fee increases and ensure transparency.
Monitoring Team Composition
The proposed five-member monitoring team will include a magistrate, officials from the education department, and other designated members. The team will closely monitor any increase in fees collected under various heads such as re-admission charges, development fees, and other additional expenses imposed on parents. This proactive step is expected to curb malpractices and protect parents from undue financial burden.
Parent Association's Response
Manoj Mishra, general secretary of the Jharkhand Parents’ Association, welcomed the decision. He said, “Arbitrary fee collection by private schools has become a major burden for parents. The formation of this monitoring team and the audit of fee hikes since 2021 will bring much-needed relief and accountability.”
