Ranchi, April 2 The Jharkhand government has taken a firm stand against arbitrary practices by private schools, with School Education Department Minister Ramdas Soren directing action against complaints related to fee hikes, the collection of money under the guise of re-admission, and forcing parents to buy books exclusively from designated shops.
He warned that schools failing to comply with government guidelines would face fines ranging from Rs 50,000 to Rs 2.5 lakh.
Following his directive, the Education Department has issued notices to 78 private schools in East Singhbhum (Jamshedpur) for alleged violations of government norms.
School managements have been asked to respond by April 3 to the notices issued by the District Education Officer and District Education Superintendent.
Citing provisions of the Jharkhand Education Tribunal (Amendment) Act, 2017, the notices emphasise that school buildings and premises must be used solely for educational purposes. Schools have been warned against coercing or encouraging parents and students to purchase books, uniforms, or other materials through school-organised camps.
Despite these regulations, complaints have surfaced about schools misusing their premises to sell books. Additionally, many schools have reportedly hiked fees in violation of prescribed guidelines for the new academic session.
The Education Department has instructed private school managements to submit records of their fee structures and any increases over the past three years. It has also pointed out that the tenure of school-level fee determination committees is set at three years, yet some schools have failed to adhere to this mandate.
Minister Soren stated that letters have been sent to all district Commissioners and Deputy Commissioners, directing them to ensure the formation of fee determination committees in accordance with the Jharkhand Education Tribunal (Amendment) Act, 2017.
Each school-level fee determination committee will comprise the principal, secretary, three teachers nominated by the school management, and four parents nominated by the teachers' union. Schools must provide advance notice of at least one week before any fee-related meeting or decision-making process, as per the new guidelines.
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