Delhi's Dual Education Push: Improving Government Schools and Curtailing Private Fees
Delhi's Directorate of Education is appointing mentors to improve government school performance, while the Delhi government prepares an ordinance to regulate private school fees, aiming to curb arbitrary hikes. This initiative is part of a broader strategy to ensure quality education and address systemic issues in the education sector.
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The Directorate of Education in Delhi has initiated a mentorship program aimed at improving the performance of government schools with the lowest pass percentages in classes 9 and 11. Senior officers will be assigned to 56 schools to work as mentors during the 2024-25 session, continuing until 2025-26. Their role includes conducting fortnightly inspections and uploading reports on the Management Information System (MIS) portal, as part of the 'Mission Mathematics' campaign to enhance mathematical skills from classes 6 through 10. These inspection reports will evaluate student performance, attendance, and the use of teaching-learning materials, overseen by district and zonal officers for effective implementation.
In other developments, the Delhi government is advancing plans to introduce an ordinance that will regulate fees in private schools. This ordinance, under the 'Delhi School Education Bill, 2025', is intended to address longstanding concerns over arbitrary fee hikes by imposing fines up to Rs 50,000 for violations, and in cases of repeated offenses, potentially confiscating school properties. Committees at various levels will be responsible for determining appropriate fee structures. The bill was set for introduction during a special legislative session but was postponed and is now scheduled for the upcoming Monsoon Session.
Amidst these regulatory efforts, the government has issued show-cause notices to 10 schools for arbitrary fee hikes, following student disenrollment cases in institutions like the DPS Dwarka. The Delhi Chief Minister, Rekha Gupta, along with Education Minister Ashish Sood, has expressed a firm stance against such practices and committed to strengthening the documentation and regulatory framework to prevent fee exploitation. These measures reflect the government's broader objective to provide quality and equitable education across the state, ensuring transparency and accountability in both public and private education sectors.
(With inputs from agencies.)
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