Delhi: Parents allege lack of transparency in PTAs, demand reform

- May 29, 2025
| By : Saurav Gupta |

As fee hike protests grow, parents accuse private schools of bypassing rules for PTA formation and elections

Delhi: As discontent grows over arbitrary fee hikes and alleged harassment by private schools in the national capital, parents are increasingly raising alarm over the ineffective functioning of Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs), which are intended to serve as a bridge between families and school administrations.

Many parents allege that PTAs in several schools were constituted without proper elections or transparency, leading to a lack of accountability. As a result, they say, these associations have failed to address key issues such as fee-related grievances and administrative irregularities.

Private schools have been required to conduct PTA elections every academic year since the 2010–2011 session, as per a Directorate of Education (DoE) order dated April 12, 2010. The intent, according to the directive, is to create a conducive environment for children to realise their full potential by bringing parents and teachers together on an equal platform.

Adding to concerns, several schools have reportedly not complied with a Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) directive dated May 21, 2021, which mandates the disclosure of PTA member details. Schools are required to publish the list of PTA members under the ‘Mandatory Public Disclosure’ section on their official website’s homepage.

When contacted, officials from the Department of Education said the matter would be investigated and appropriate action taken if any violations are found.

Schools flouting CBSE mandatory disclosure norms

Several schools, including DPS Dwarka, GD Goenka Public School, Vivekanand School (Anand Vihar and Preet Vihar), and Arwachin Bharti Bhawan Senior Secondary School, have clearly failed to comply with these requirements.

DPS Dwarka, which recently drew attention for the alleged illegal expulsion of 32 students, is also in violation of both DoE and CBSE mandates regarding PTA transparency. GD Goenka Public School has similarly failed to publish the list of PTA members on its website, flouting CBSE norms that require schools to publicly share specific information, including details of PTA members.

No accessibility to PTA members

Parents expressed frustration over the inaccessibility of PTA representatives, noting that schools have failed to provide contact numbers or email addresses of PTA members. This lack of information has made it impossible to reach out to them during times of distress.

Aparajita Gautam, President of the Delhi Parents Association, said that most parents whose children have faced harassment or are protesting against arbitrary fee hikes have tried to contact PTA members—without success.

“The parents who are facing hardships in the schools do not have access to PTA members to raise their complaints. For this, CBSE is responsible. They should have mandated that schools upload the contact details of the members as well,” Gautam said.

She added, “Apart from that, the CBSE and Delhi’s education department should verify the lists uploaded by schools. These documents should bear the stamp of both authorities to ensure credibility. Otherwise, private schools are simply adding names without holding elections, and the purpose of the PTA is not being fulfilled in the national capital.”

Claims of biased PTA elections

Several parents allege that schools conduct unfair PTA elections, often selecting only those parents who share close relations with the management. This, they claim, allows schools to manipulate decisions in their favour.

Sanjeev Bansal, whose children study at Maharaja Agrasen Model School in Ashok Vihar, said the school used Google Forms for voting, which many parents were unfamiliar with. “Several parents didn’t even know how to fill out the form. The school got students to do it on behalf of their parents, who were simply asked for their names and their child’s class. Most of us aren’t well-versed in using computers, so we don’t even know who we voted for,” he claimed.

Bansal also criticised the lack of transparency in the process. “We weren’t told how many nominations were filed, how many votes were cast, or who received how many votes. How can this be called a fair and free election? It was a mere formality. In the end, the school picked parents who are close to the administration—people who would sign anything in the school’s favour, not the parents’, often for a small incentive.”

An elected PTA member at the same school, who requested anonymity, backed Bansal’s claims and confirmed that the entire process lacked transparency, with voting conducted through Google Forms.

The PTA election process was completely opaque,” said Shubham Sharma (name changed),whose child is enrolled at Salwan Public School.

“The school conducted the elections from April 25-30 this year through Google Forms, and all credentials were controlled by them. Parents weren’t given a fair chance to participate or monitor the process. We’ve filed several complaints with the Directorate of Education (DoE), but there’s been no response. When we questioned the officials, they dismissed it as an internal matter of the school. Shockingly, the entire election process was wrapped up in just six days.”

He further alleged that the school is intimidating parents into being silent.

“They’re openly telling us to go and complain wherever we want, claiming that nothing will come of it. It’s disheartening, as parents feel completely sidelined and helpless in this unfair system,” he added.

Despite repeated attempts to elicit their response regarding the allegations, Maharaja Agrasen Model School and Salwan Public School did not offer any comment at the time of the paper going to the press. The online version of the story will be updated as and when Patriot receives their response.

Widespread lack of awareness

Many parents asserted that they were unaware of PTAs altogether, claiming that schools neither conducted elections nor informed parents about the formation or roles of such bodies.

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Ritu Sharma, a parent at DPS Dwarka, said, “My son has been studying at DPS Dwarka for over five years now, and in all this time, I have never heard of a Parent-Teacher Association being active. There has never been any information shared with us regarding elections or member names. Most parents I speak to have no idea that such a body even exists in the school. If there is a PTA, it seems to exist only on paper.”

Ashok Mehra, whose child studies at GD Goenka Public School, said, “There was no notification, no meeting, no communication about PTA elections from the school. If you check their website, there’s no list of members or meeting details—nothing at all. It feels like a closed-door system where only a few selected parents are included, often those who agree with the school administration.”

Sunita Verma, parent at Vivekanand School, Anand Vihar, recalled learning about the PTA only when she raised a fee-related issue. “I have attended every parent-teacher meeting, and not once has the school spoken about forming a PTA or held elections. We were never asked to nominate ourselves or vote,” she said.

Ramesh Kumar, whose children study at Vivekanand School, Preet Vihar, added, “I have two children in the school and not once have I been told about any PTA elections. It’s almost as if the school wants to keep us parents away from decision-making processes.”

Loopholes in policy and implementation

Experts have flagged significant loopholes in the PTA guidelines issued by Delhi’s education department, which, they say, allow schools to operate with impunity and mislead parents.

Gautam pointed out that the CBSE’s mandatory disclosure order does not require the uploaded PTA documents to be self-attested or verified by the DoE.

“There should also be contact details of PTA members in the list uploaded on the school website,” she reiterated.

She further added that the DoE’s 2010 guidelines on PTA formation lacked clarity on election procedures, compromising transparency. “The department merely stated that PTA elections should be held, without laying down a detailed process,” Gautam said.

What the DoE says

The Directorate of Education has said it will launch a detailed investigation into alleged violations of PTA norms by schools across Delhi.

According to highly placed sources in the department, the rules governing PTA formation and functioning are clear, and any breach will invite strict action.

“Strong action will be taken against schools found violating PTA norms,” the sources said.

When asked about possible loopholes in existing regulations, the officials acknowledged the need for more robust provisions and confirmed that revised PTA guidelines are being incorporated into the upcoming Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Draft Bill, 2025.

“The proposed changes aim to ensure greater transparency in the functioning of PTAs and to safeguard the rights of parents in school decision-making processes,” they added.

Despite repeated attempts, the CBSE did not respond to requests for comment.