New Delhi [India], July 3 (ANI): The Directorate of Education, Delhi, has appointed senior officers as mentors in 56 government schools that recorded the lowest pass percentage (up to 45%) in classes 9 and 11 during the 2024-25 session. Each officer will guide one school until the 2025-26 session, conduct inspections every fortnight, and upload reports on the MIS portal, said a senior official in the Directorate of Education.

This initiative is linked to the 'Mission Mathematics' and special enrichment classes campaign aimed at strengthening foundational understanding of mathematics for classes 6 to 10. The inspection reports will include assessments of subject-wise performance, student attendance, use of teaching-learning materials (TLM), and more. District and zonal officers will oversee the effective implementation of these programmes.

The Delhi government is planning to introduce an ordinance to regulate private school fees. The ordinance may be introduced within a week.

The Delhi government is preparing to bring this ordinance to curb arbitrary fee hikes by private schools.

According to sources, the draft of the proposed ordinance, under the 'Delhi School Education Bill, 2025', has already been sent to the Law Department.

The ordinance proposes a fine of up to Rs 50,000 for violations, and in cases of repeated violations, provision has been made for the confiscation of school property.

Committees will be formed at the school, district, and review levels to determine fees.

This bill was initially scheduled to be presented during the special session proposed on May 13-14, but the session could not be held. It will now be introduced as a bill in the upcoming Monsoon Session.

On April 16, show-cause notices were served to 10 schools with regard to the arbitrary fee hike and those who didn't submit their audit reports. The present Delhi government has already collected audited reports from 600 schools.

Previously, while speaking to ANI on the issue of fee hike by private schools, Delhi education minister Ashish Sood said, 'We will create a strong documentation system and tighten the noose around such schools. We will investigate how arbitrary fee hikes were approved in the past and whether any corrupt dealings took place with the previous government. We will not tolerate any such malpractice under any circumstances.'

The matter of the arbitrary fee hike came to the fore when several students in DPS Dwarka were disenrolled when they failed to pay the hiked school fee, and the court intervened. The government also sent a committee that investigated the matter, following which show-cause notices were served to the schools.

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has also announced previously many times that such fee hikes and harassment of parents and students won't be tolerated. Keeping this in mind, the government plans to introduce this ordinance to curb arbitrary fee hikes.

The Rekha Gupta government aims to provide quality and modern education to every child in the state.

The issue of arbitrary fee hikes by private schools in Delhi has been a longstanding concern, with the Delhi government taking various measures over the years to address it. (ANI)