The All India Parents' Association (AIPA) Delhi will start an agitation next month against the recent school fee hike. They are also opposing inaction on the part of DoE against all schools which were indicted in the 2010 CAG report.

IS Gambhir, president, AIPA Delhi unit says all schools which have taken land at subsidised rate from the government have to take prior permission from the director education (DoE). There are total 384 such schools in the capital and none of them have taken prior permission. "If the DoE approves that fee hike is justified they can increase any amount they want to but they have not taken any permission."

The other 1,200 unaided private schools have increased their fee from 10 to 40 percent. Gambhir says, "Such schools do not require any prior permission but they must declare their fee structure by March 31 and if DoE does not find it justified they they will have to roll back." He adds that DoE has powers to act against fee hike but it has never used its powers.

In Delhi, schools are free to increase fee and in case parents have objection they can approach the government and then it will check if it is justified.

Lawyer and activist Ashok Agarwal, who is also the president of AIPA, says CAG's 2010 report is the best example of how schools cheat parents. He says it is important to bring a national law to monitor private schools.

“Court has given a good judgment but the government is not implementing it well. There should be national law on regulation and monitoring of school fee. Only Tamil Nadu at present has its own regulatory body. Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh are working to bring law on the same lines,” he said.

Agarwal suggested there should be a committee for private schools as well like School Management Committee for government schools under the RTE. “75 percent parents must be there in SMCs. Private schools should have committee with 50 percent parents representative to monitor and regulate the fee hike. Malpractice will be controlled once a national law is brought in.”

He further added that private schools also do not pay much to their teachers but charge so much from children.

In Delhi Justice Anil Dev Singh Committee, appointed by the high court is currently monitoring the accounts of more than 1,200 schools as per the high court directions. Dr RK Sharma, one of the members of the committee said the committee will soon come up with the report.