Parents association urges Delhi govt to intervene in school fee refund matter

The Delhi Parents Association (DPA) has urged Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and Education Minister Ashish Sood to intervene in the long-pending school fee refund matter linked to the recommendations of the Justice Anil Dev Singh Committee, claiming dues of over Rs 1,317 crore.

In a memorandum submitted to the Delhi government on Thursday, the association sought disclosure of all schools liable for refunds and requested strong representation before the Delhi High Court, which is scheduled to hear the matter on May 8.

The Justice Anil Dev Singh Committee was constituted to examine alleged unjustified fee hikes by private unaided schools in the national capital and had identified several schools for refund of excess fees collected from parents.

According to the association, a public list of around 531 schools covered under the committee’s recommendations was released in 2016, but the committee is understood to have continued functioning till around April 2020.

The DPA alleged that the publicly available list may not represent the complete and final list of schools covered under the committee’s work.

It claimed that nearly 230 schools had challenged the committee’s findings before courts, while around 300 schools may still remain liable for refunds without having challenged the recommendations.

The association also raised concerns that some schools may fall outside both the publicly available list and the known list of schools that approached courts, creating ambiguity over the total number of refund-liable schools and the overall refund amount.

Citing public reports that estimated the refund liability at around Rs 750 crore in 2019, the DPA claimed that with nine per cent simple annual interest, the amount may have crossed Rs 1,317 crore by 2026.

“The amount represents the hard-earned money of lakhs of parents and should not be diluted, diverted or otherwise closed without a transparent refund process,” the association said in the memorandum.

Among the key demands raised by the DPA are public disclosure of the complete and final list of schools covered under the committee till April 2020, disclosure of school-wise refund and interest liabilities, separate lists of schools that challenged and did not challenge the findings, and the creation of an online refund claim portal for parents.

Also Read: Bill on school fee regulation leaves parents exposed to exploitation

The association also sought a minimum six-month refund claim window and a large-scale public awareness campaign to reach the affected parents.

The DPA said that around 120 parents had responded within three days to a limited Google Form exercise circulated in a few schools’ WhatsApp groups, arguing that affected parents could still be traced despite claims made by some schools.

The association urged the Delhi government to ensure before the high court that the matter is not prematurely closed and that refunds are made only to eligible parents.