|
The Uttar Pradesh government has amended the Uttar Pradesh Self-Financed Independent Schools (Fee Regulation) Act to regulate fees of private schools in extraordinary conditions such as pandemic, natural calamity etc.
An ordinance amending the Act for regulating school fees was been promulgated by UP Governor Anandiben Patel on Wednesday.
The amended law empowers the state government to regulate fees charged by private schools from existing and new students for each academic year.
The new law states, “In extraordinary conditions or emergent circumstances like but not limited to acts of god, epidemic, natural calamities, wars or revolutions, civil commotions, floods etc, the state government may by order regulate the fees to be charged by recognised schools, from existing students and newly admitted students for each academic year till such time the aforesaid eventualities exist, or till such time as it appears necessary in public interest.”
Under the amended law, there will be a ‘Self-Financed Independent School Authority’ at the divisional level, headed by the divisional commissioner, with additional director, treasury, as member and divisional joint director of education as member-secretary.
Moreover, the appellate authority formed under the Uttar Pradesh Private Professional Education Institutes (Regulation of Admission and Fixation of Fees) Act, 2006 would work as ‘Self-Finance Independent School Appellate Authority’ till divisional self-financed independent school appellate authorities are constituted in each division of the state.
As per the law, the appellate authority will have the powers of the civil court as well as appellate court while hearing appeal.
The law states, “The decision passed by the divisional self-financed independent school authority shall be final.”
The state government had recently ordered private schools not to hike fees amid the pandemic. However, some private schools had moved the court against the government’s move.
Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma who holds the charge of Secondary Education department, said, “Some private schools had moved the court citing that the state government does not have right to regulate their fees. Considering the Covid pandemic, we had to come out with the ordinance in this regard, and it was cleared by the Cabinet on Tuesday and by the Governor on Wednesday.”
He said that under the new law, the state government would be able to regulate fees of the self-financed schools during extraordinary circumstances, including pandemic, in public interest.