S K Bhattacharya, president of the Action Committee that represents 1,900 unaided private schools in the city, said the schools have decided to take the matter to court, though he refused to divulge further details. “We will file a writ petition against the government notification in a couple of days,” he said. “The details are being finalised by the lawyers.”

The government had allowed private schools to raise monthly tuition fees between Rs 100 and Rs 500, depending on the existing fee slab. The schools had been demanding up to a 50-per cent increase in tuition fee to be able to implement the Sixth Pay Commission’s recommendations on teacher and other staff salaries.

Bhattacharya had previously that said the government notification, issued on February 12, was contrary to the Delhi Education Act. According to the notification, the schools will have to seek approval of the parent-teacher’s associations (PTA) before deciding on a fee hike. Based on PTA’s recommendations, they would have to approach the Directorate of Education (DoE) to review their case and allow them a greater hike.

After the schools protested the government’s decisions to create slabs for the fee hike, Education Secretary Rina Ray had said that individual schools could approach the DoE with their account books and a PTA representative in case they were not happy with the permitted fee hike and the government would review their case.

“They are giving extra-constitutional powers to the PTA and taking away powers from the management. They are creating another front altogether,” Bhattacharya had said. “This confrontation is not good for education.”