Students barred entryin school over fee payment, DoE takes note

The Directorate of Education (DoE) instructed Salwan Public School in Mayur Vihar to refrain from striking names and denying students entry for non-payment of “unapproved” fees. 

The DoE order issued on Wednesday stated that a parent filed a complaint on January 27, alleging that his daughter’s name was struck off and that she was denied entry to class. 

“In view of the above, you [Salwan Public School] are hereby once again directed not to strike off the name in respect of any such students whose parents have not paid the hiked fees which is not approved by the department,” reads the order.

It added that it had earlier directed the school in May and July 2025 not to withhold results, deny marksheets, discriminate against, or strike off names over unapproved fees.

A similar instance of children being barred from attending classes at Delhi Public School, Dwarka, last year led to parents’ protests, which then prompted the Delhi government to pass the Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fee) Act, 2025. An order was issued in December 2025 mandating the formation of School-Level Fee Regulation Committees.

‘No entry even after order’

Mohit Arora, the parent who complained to the DoE, said that his daughter, who is in Nursery, has not been allowed into the classroom for three days.

“Even after letting her enter the school, I got a call from the reception saying that she is sitting in the reception because her name has been struck off… she gets disheartened and says that she does not want to go to school because she is not allowed into the classroom,” Mr. Arora said. 

At least five parents have received show-cause notices stating that they are in default of fee payments. However, parents maintain that they are not defaulters and that the fee is “unapproved”.

Mr. Arora said that he has been paying the last-approved fees. 

‘Outdated structure’ 

However, school principal Richa Sharma Katyal said that parents have been depositing fees in accordance with the 2015-2016 fee structure. 

The DoE has not approved fee-hike requests since 2015-2016.

The school is in deficit and had to increase fees from 2023, or else it would be “unable to function,” Ms. Katyal said.

“It is neither feasible nor justifiable for a school to function in the academic year 2025- 26 on a fee structure applicable to 2015-16. Accepting payment under an outdated structure would be operationally untenable and unfair to other parents who are complying with the prescribed fee norms. The school cannot apply different fee standards to individual parents. As doing so would compromise equity and parity among families,” she said.