The government has directed the District Education Offices to retrieve the exorbitant fees charged by the private schools, by mid-November.

At an interaction programme organised by Education Journalist Group in the Capital on Thursday, Department of Education Deputy Director Bal Bahadur Karki said the licences of the private schools failing to comply with the directive would be recommended for cancelation.

He said the government is committed to enforcing the Private School Operation Criteria and Directives.

Karki urged the private schools to display a notice for public to make the fees transparent as per the directive issued by the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA).

The Department's demand for fee record from private schools comes at a time of a dispute which has reignited between the private schools and the student unions, after the agreement reached on 19 July for refunding the random increment of fees was not implemented.

Ministry of Education, Private and Boarding School Organisation Nepal (PABSON), National Private and Boarding School Organisation Nepal (NPABSON) and CPN-Maoist affiliated All Nepal National Independent Student Union-Revolutionary had reached an agreement for refunding the fees hiked randomly.

The private schools have been reluctant in implementing the agreement.

ANNISU-Revolutionary General Secretary Ratna Dhakal warned of using force if the private schools do not refund the money to the parents.

However, NPABSON Chairman Karna Bahadur Shahi said the schools are running under the set criteria while adding that he will accept necessary actions from the Ministry in case of failure to comply with the regulations.

Shahi added that vandalism and agitations by the student unions would not be appropriate.

Parents Association Nepal Chairman Suprabhat Bhandari said it is sad that the schools are not complying with the state rule and warned that the parents will resort to agitation if the situation persists.

source: the himalayan times,6 nov 2014