Make fee refund flexible, demands rights group
Parents, whose children have secured seats in nursery classes by paying admission fee for the academic session 2015-16 in more than one school, are facing a hard time getting a refund.
The Directorate of Education (DoE) had directed private schools to refund the fee within one month of an admission. But there are cases where parents are seeking fee refund after a month’s time.
“I have paid about Rs 65,000 to a private school in Sarita Vihar as the admission fee including tuition fee for three months till June. Now my child has got admission to the school I always wanted and I paid Rs 60,000 as the admission fee and three months tuition fee including other charges for securing the seat,” said Puran Kohli (name changed).
“But I am confused whether I will be getting a refund from previous institution as it’s over a month now and according to the DoE’s refund policy I might not be eligible,” he added.
A child rights group has brought the issue of fee refund to the notice of the DoE and has written to Delhi Education Minister Manish Sisodia.
“This year, schools were given autonomy to form their guidelines for nursery admission. The DoE did not come out with a calendar for admission dates,” said Sumit Vohra, founder of admissionsnursery.com.
Time limit
“We started receiving complaints about the issue of fee refund as there was no uniform calendar of admission dates. We wrote to the DOE to increase the time limit of the fee refund policy to two months,” said Vohra.
“The action was taken after Education Minister Manish Sisodia took interest and the DoE issued a fee refund policy, but it’s of one month.”
This admission season, schools came out with the first list of selected candidates as early as January 15.
Some schools are still coming out with shortlisted candidates list.
“Our main question is why is fee refund policy is of one month when the process continues for two months every year? When DoE issues the calendar, the first list of selected candidates comes out by February 1 and the admission process gets over by March 31,” said Vohra.
Copy of Mail
Dear Manish Sisodiaji
Sub - Please see copy of our complaint in which we had requested DOE to make fee refund policy valid for two months permanently ,which was earlier sent to you for your kind pursual. It was made valid for 2 months last year as special case due to court cases n lot of litigation after our complaint but this year it is again made valid for one month.
Please go through the article published today in Deccan Herald as every thing is self explanatory with parents loosing money n also find copy of 2 month fee refund policy for last year
Deccan Herald 18 Mar -“Our main question is why is fee refund policy is of one month when the process continues for two months every year? When DoE issues the calendar, the first list of selected candidates comes out by February 1 and the admission process gets over by March 31,”
http://www.deccanherald.com/content/466295/make-fee-refund-flexible...
http://www.edudel.nic.in/upload_2013_14/24690_95_dt_01072014.pdf
fee refund policy came after your instructions only
Copy of complaint to DOE for 2 month fee refund policy on which one month fee refund came
From: Manish Sisodia a href="mailto:msisodia@gmail.com" target="_blank">msisodia@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, Feb 20, 2015 at 7:05 PM
Subject: Re: For Urgent Pursual of Madam Padmini Singla (Director n Education) - Sub - Schools harassing parents by refusing to refund any admission fees even as DOE fee refund policy exists.
To: sumit vohra a href="mailto:sumitvohra37@gmail.com" target="_blank">sumitvohra37@gmail.com>, secyedu@nic.in
Forwarded for necessary action.
ATR may pl be sent to this office.
DyCM Office
On Fri, Feb 13, 2015 at 4:36 PM, sumit vohra a href="mailto:sumitvohra37@gmail.com" target="_blank">sumitvohra37@gmail.com> wrote:
No action taken by DOE regarding fee refund by schools ..pls see the self explanatory letter written to DIR DOE /Secy DOE fortnight back ( we are getting complaint from many parents who have withdrawn from from different schools)
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: sumit vohra a href="mailto:sumitvohra37@gmail.com" target="_blank">sumitvohra37@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, Jan 24, 2015 at 3:45 PM
Subject: For Urgent Pursual of Madam Padmini Singla (Director n Education) - Sub - Schools harassing parents by refusing to refund any admission fees even as DOE fee refund policy exists.
To: diredu@hub.nic.in, secyedu@nic.in, secytominsw.delhi@nic.in, "Addl. D.E IAS" a href="mailto:add.dir.edu@gmail.com" target="_blank">add.dir.edu@gmail.com>s
- Sub - Schools harassing parents by refusing to refund any admission fees even as DOE fee refund policy exists.
To
Madam Padmini Singla 24 Jan 2015
Govt. of NCT of Delhi.
Civil Lines, Delhi- 110054
Please find complaints as below
- Reply by Parent 21 hours ago
Dear Mr. Vohra
Schools are not giving proper information about refund fee. DAV Public School Jasola is saying once the fees paid there will be no refund except Rs. 500/-
Can you please advice us on this.
- Parent 22 hours ago
On tuesday (20-Jan-2015) i got my daughter admitted to SBDAV to block the seat.
Yesterday I enquired about the refund policy.
Mam at counter 2 clearly said only INR 500 refundable security deposit will be refunded. Else all will be forfeited.
I said the DOE order said something else. She said that order was for last year. This year there is no order as such.
As all schools and parents are aware the last order by DOE stands valid unless a new one is passed...It is requested to take necessary steps and consider our request(dated 29 Dec 2014 to make ,fee refund policy valid for min 2 month)
