By: Express News ServiceNew Delhi | December 25, 2025 06:15 AM IST 3 min readThe Delhi Directorate of Education (DoE) on Wednesday directed all private schools in the Capital to constitute School Level Fee Regulation Committees (SLFRCs) by January 10 next year under the Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Act, 2025.The move marks the implementation of the new law to regulate fees charged by private schools from the current academic session and ensuring that fee hikes are reviewed transparently, giving parents a direct say in the process.As per the law, every school must place its fee proposals before it’s SLFRC, a body that includes parents, teachers and government representatives.The step is crucial, as concerns on arbitrary fee hikes has been a longstanding issue, prompting hundreds of parents from top private schools in Delhi to take to the streets earlier this year.Calling the measure a “historic step,” Education Minister Ashish Sood said the legislation – notified on December 10 – supplements the Delhi School Education Act, 1973, and seeks to safeguard parents’ interests while eliminating arbitrariness in fee fixation.He emphasised that the law is not against schools or teachers but is designed to build a balanced and trustworthy system. “Long pending questions such as ‘what will happen to school fees this year’ will now have a permanent solution,” he added.The Act will be implemented through a two-tier mechanism comprising school-level committees and district-level appellate bodies.Story continues below this adEach SLFRC will comprise the school management as chairperson, the principal, three teachers, five parents and one representative from the DoE. Parent and teacher members will be chosen through a public draw of lots, with observers present to ensure fairness.A waiting list of 10 additional members must also be prepared. To prevent conflicts of interest, only one parent per family can serve on the committee, and parents of children admitted under EWS (Economically Weaker Section), DG (Disadvantaged Group), and CWSN (Children with Special Needs) categories – who are exempt from fee payment – will not be eligible.For the 2025-26 academic session, schools must complete the draw of lots and publish the final list of SLFRC members by January 10, 2026. Fee proposals must be submitted to the committee by January 25, 2026, and a decision must be taken within 30 days. If the SLFRC fails to decide within the stipulated time, the matter will automatically move to the District Level Fee Appellate Committee, which has been empowered to adjudicate disputes and hear appeals.The DoE has also barred school managements from influencing the draw process. The date, time and venue of the draw must be publicly announced at least seven days in advance through notices on the school board and the school’s website.Story continues below this adAs per the order issued by DoE Director Veditha Reddy, the one time operational timeline was being prescribed to ensure proper redressal and disposal of fee related matters this year. She noted that the directions were meant to provide clarity and uniformity, ensuring that parents and schools alike have a transparent mechanism to resolve fee issues without delay.More than 1500 private unaided recognised schools will directly come under the ambit of the new law. Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd