After receiving multiple complaints from parents about schools in Lucknow pushing them to buy books or uniforms from select vendors, the city’s District
Magistrate stepped in. He ruled that educational institutions can neither coerce guardians to buy any of these from specific vendors nor charge anything beyond the prescribed fee structure. The move was planned on Thursday (Apr 9) during a district fee regulatory committee meeting headed by Lucknow DM Vishakh G. The meeting agenda was to ensure the effective rollout of the UP Self-Financed Schools (Fee Regulation) Act, 2018, and its 2020 amendment, especially in issues related to fee transparency and protection of students’ rights. As per Section 8 of the Act, the DM leads the committee, which is accountable for reviewing fee hike proposals, managing grievances from parents, verifying adherence to the prescribed norms, and suggesting remedial action in case of non-compliance. In case of grievances, parents can reach out to ADM (Civil Supplies) Jyoti Gautam and the district inspector of schools, as they have been appointed as the nodal officers for fee-related issues. Moreover, the District Administration has set up joint inspection teams comprising SDMs, ACMs, and principals of government secondary schools. Officials have been instructed to carry out inspections with the education department and submit reports based on the representations received. A key point, i.e., transparency, seems to be missing from many educational institutions today. The meeting discussed this issue extensively and ordered schools to display the academic fee structures on their official websites as well as on notice boards. Furthermore, schools have been cautioned against charging beyond the prescribed fee structure. Important Note: Every fee payment must be backed by a receipt, and schools must submit the fee structure to the DIOS office. Unfortunately, this is not the only city where schools are behaving arbitrarily. There has been persistent outrage on the microblogging site X by parents demanding strict action against schools forcing them to buy textbooks or uniforms from specific vendors at inflated prices. Some netizens called it a ‘nexus between schools and vendors’ who are tying up to charge exorbitantly from parents.
Delhi, GTB Nagar Schools Asked Not to Charge Unreasonably from Parents
A few days back, the District Magistrate of Gautam Buddh Nagar, Medha Roopam, announced stringent provisions for all private schools charging exorbitant tuition and book fees. The new rules assert that privately owned schools in Gautam Buddh Nagar cannot force students or their parents to buy books, uniforms, shoes, or other items from specific sellers. She also capped the fee hikes at 7.23 per cent for the 2026–27 academic session.
Not just GTB Nagar administration, following protests by the parents and students against high school and textbook fee, Delhi government too directed private unaided recognised schools not to make it mandatory for parents to buy books and uniforms from designated vendors/shops. The Directorate of Education stated that, under the provisions of the Delhi School Education Act and Rules (DSEAR), 1973, and the Delhi Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Rules, 2011, the directive comes in the wake of complaints that some schools were forcing parents to buy educational materials from designated shops. Read more….
