Lok Sabha Question No. 1069 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-07-26
Subject: Exorbitant Fee Collection During Pandemic
Ministry: Education
Asked by: Arvind Ganpat Sawant, Suresh Kodikunnil, Bhavana Gawali (Patil), Sanjay Haribhau Jadhav, Gurjeet Singh Aujla

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION & LITERACY

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1069

TO BE ANSWERED ON 26.07.2021

## Exorbitant Fee Collection During Pandemic

## †1069. SHRI ARVIND GANPAT SAWANT:

SHRI KODIKUNNIL SURESH:

SHRIMATI BHAVANA PUNDALIKRAO GAWALI:

SHRI SANJAY JADHAV:

SHRI GURJEET SINGH AUJLA:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government is aware of arbitrariness of private schools in commercialisation of education in the country and the problems being faced by the common people due to exorbitant increase in the fee charged by the private schools across the country particularly during prevailing pandemic situation ;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Government proposes to make any policy in this regard and to set up any regulatory body to monitor all the aspects of the functioning of private schools and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) the  steps  taken/being  taken  by  the  Government  to  ensure  admission  of  the  children belonging to Economically Weaker Sections of society in the private schools as per the quota prescribed for them; and
- (e) the steps taken/being taken by the Government to improve the standard of education in the private schools in coordination with the State Governments?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF EDUCATION

( SHRI DHARMENDRA PRADHAN )

(a) to (c) and (e): Education is a subject in the Concurrent List of the Constitution and schools, other than those owned / funded by Central Government, are under the jurisdiction of the State Governments. Thus, the matter relating to fees and its components in schools are regulated in terms of Rules and Instructions of the State Government concerned. It is for the respective State Government concerned to take necessary action against such schools which violate the Rules and Instructions of the State Government in the matter. So far as schools affiliated  to  Central  Board  of  Secondary  Education  (CBSE)  are  concerned,  the  Board  has issued circular on 17th April, 2020 to all the State Education Department with the request to consider issuing suitable instructions on periodicity of payment of school fees and payment of  salaries  to  the  teaching  and  non-teaching  staff  to  be  applicable  during  the  period  of pandemic. The circular can be accessed on the website https://www.lms.org.in/assets/front/pdf/Fee\_payment\_Circular\_dated17April2020.pdf

The  new  National  Education  Policy  (NEP)  -  2020  provides    that    "An  effective quality  self-regulation  or  accreditation  system  will  be  instituted  for  all  stages  of  education including  pre-school  education  -  private,  public,  and  philanthropic  -  to  ensure  compliance with essential quality standards. To  ensure that all schools follow certain  minimal professional and quality standards, States/UTs will set up an independent, State-wide, body called the State School Standards Authority (SSSA). The SSSA will establish a minimal set of standards based on basic parameters (namely, safety, security, basic infrastructure, number of teachers across subjects and grades, financial probity, and sound processes of governance), which shall be followed by all schools.

(d): The  Right  of  Children  to  Free  and  compulsory  Education  Act,  2009,  mandates  the appropriate Government to provide free and compulsory elementary education to every child of  the  age  6  to  14  years  in  a  neighborhood  school.    Section  12(1)  (c)  of  RTE  Act,  2009 provides for admission of children belonging to weaker sections and disadvantaged groups in the neighborhood schools in Class I to the extent of at least 25 percent of the strength of that class.

The Central Government has been supporting States and UTs for implementation of various  provisions  of  the  Act  including  expenditure  incurred  towards  reimbursement  to private schools for admissions of children under Section 12(1)(c) from 2014-15.  The support is provided on the basis of per-child cost notified by the concerned State and UT for children in class 1 and above.  For implementation of Section 12(1) (c) of the RTE Act, the respective State and UT Government is the appropriate government under the RTE Act.

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