Gwalior (Madhya Pradesh): Taking a strong action against the private schools accused of violating the fee hike cap, Gwalior Collector, on Tuesday, ordered three major Convent schools of the city to collectively refund Rs 15.21 lakh to the parents within 30 days.
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The parents complained that a higher percentage of fee was hiked in academic session 2024-25 compared to 2023-24.
As a result, the education department issued show-cause notices to 35 private schools. After reviewing the responses, it was found that three schools had increased their fees by more than 10%-- the cap fixed by the administration. These schools have been ordered by Collector Ruchika Chauhan to refund the excess fees to the parents' accounts via online banking within 30 days.
This is the first such case in Gwalior and possibly in Madhya Pradesh where such an order has been issued.
The three schools ordered to refund the fees are:
Carmel Convent High Secondary School, Falka Bazaar, approximately ₹9.09 lakh.
St. Joseph Convent School, Piparoli, approximately ₹2.64 lakh.
Ramshree Kids School, Harishankarpuram, approximately ₹3.47 lakh.
According to the District Education Officer, these schools increased their fees by more than 10% without submitting a proposal for approval to the district committee as required by the Madhya Pradesh Private School (Fee and Related Matters Regulation) Rules 2020.
The investigation committee has decided to probe 11 schools in the city that have refused to increase their fees. These schools include:
Delhi Public School (DPS), Rairu
Mount Litera Zee Public School, Rairu
Kiddy's Corner School, Shivpuri Link Road
Manvendra Global School, Bahodapur
Silver Wells Public School, Shivpuri Link Road
Rishikul Vidya Niketan, Shivpuri Link Road
Ashoka International School, Piparoli
Rise International School, Nainagiri
These schools are now under scrutiny to ensure fair practices regarding fee adjustments.