Parents claim that private schools are breaking Form-6 regulations

The deadline for Form-6 submission by accredited private schools has been extended by the State Education Department until April 30. A parent organization called Abhibhiwak Ekta Manch (AEM) has asked for a reversal of the price rise that was implemented prior to the form’s submission, citing a breach of the Haryana School Education Rule Act of 1995.

Form-6 contains the information that a school must provide at the start of the school year on changes to the tuition and fee schedule, staffing levels, new facility additions, etc. from the previous academic year.

According to sources inside the department, this year’s extension is the fourth this year, despite the fact that the submission deadline is always in February. It is said that the deadline was extended to March 15, March 31, and April 15. Concerned by the move, the AEM said that it was an effort to shield schools from legal action since most of them had either not filed the Form-6 or had done so after the price increase and the start of the new school year.

According to Kailash Sharma, General Secretary of Abhibhiwak Ekta Manch, “We do not have any information about the compliance of the norms regarding the uploading of Form 6 on the official website or displaying its details on the notice boards in the schools here.”

He asserts that despite the fact that almost all of the schools connected to the Haryana Education Board, the ICSE, or the CBSE have raised tuition by up to 20%, the schools have not formally announced this change on the department’s website or at the school level, which is a breach of the Act.

According to the December 2021 notification issued under the Haryana School Education Rule Act-1995, the management of every recognized school shall submit details of the minimum facilities in the Form-6 being provided and mandatory fee components to be charged in accordance with clause-1 and subrule-4 of the ensuing academic year.

Additionally, it states that no school may impose any required fee components other than those listed in Form 6 and directs schools to submit Form 6 online to the Director of Education by February 1st of each year.

Additionally, Form 6 (apart from Clause 10-of Form-6) must be publicly displayed by the schools on their website and notice board.According to the statement, “failure to do so may prevent the schools from raising the fee structure for that academic year.” The letter states that even while schools are not allowed to require pupils to buy books, notes, stationery, or uniforms from a store they suggest, infractions nevertheless occur.

Divisional Commissioner and Chairperson of the Fee and Funds Regulatory Committee (FFRC), Sanjay Joon, said that while adherence to Form-6 regulations is required, infractions would be looked at.