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CBSE’s revised bylaws say any hidden costs in school’s fee structure will now lead to stringent punishment. Teams will visit and assess schools’ quality too.

New Delhi: Amid numerous complaints that private schools charge exorbitant fees and additional expenses, the government is trying to make their functioning more transparent.

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has been tasked with making sure that private schools charge what they declare — that there are no hidden costs in their fee structure, and they do not ask parents to buy uniforms, books and other things from the school.

All this is now part of CBSE’s revised bylaws, and if schools don’t adhere to these rules, they can be disaffiliated.

“Regarding fee, the bylaws clearly state that full fee should be disclosed and there should be no hidden costs,” a senior CBSE official said.

“The bylaws clearly state that fee is to be charged as per the regulation of the appropriate government and fee revision shall be subject to laws.”

There are 20,783 schools affiliated to CBSE in India and other countries, teaching over 1.9 crore students.

Also read: CBSE does away with separate 33% criteria as pass mark for class 10

Inspection of schools

The board will also focus on mapping learning outcomes in schools, which means assessing the quality of learning among students.

Teams from CBSE will visit schools for surveys, and also rank them on other parameters. If any school is found lagging on any of the parameters set by the board, it can be disaffiliated for a minimum of six months.

“Inspection of schools will now be outcome-based and more academic and quality-oriented, rather than focussing only on school infrastructure,” the CBSE official said.

“The inspection will focus on academic excellence and progress of students over time, innovations and quality of pedagogy, capacity of teachers and teacher training, inclusive practices in school, quality of co-scholastic activities, whether curricular load is as per norms, whether there is adequate focus on sports and games etc.

Also read: CBSE plans to make it easier for class 10 students to pass board exams

“This will not only help the board and the school to track students’ progress over time, but will also identify areas that would need further efforts.”

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