Ahmedabad: The Ahmedabad City District Education Officer (DEO) has issued notices to two city schools over alleged violations of fee and uniform regulations.

In Navrangpura, St Xavier’s Loyola School is under scrutiny for reportedly charging students fees higher than the officially approved amount. The school had proposed a fee of Rs 39,360, but the fee committee, after reviewing expenditures, approved Rs 22,500. Despite this, the school continued collecting the higher fee, prompting the committee to direct the excess collection, around Rs 2 crore, to be deposited into a fixed deposit (FD).

The school challenged the reduced fee before the revision committee, which has yet to issue its final order. The DEO has now directed the school to provide details of the number of students, the exact amount charged, copies of any orders permitting such collection, and receipts issued to students.

Separately, in Thaltej, Udgam School for Children has received a show-cause notice following complaints that parents were being forced to purchase uniforms, sweaters, shoes, and sportswear from specific brands and designated vendors. A preliminary inquiry revealed that the school had listed particular brands and vendors on its official website, in violation of government regulations. The DEO has asked the school to provide an in-person explanation within two days and warned that failure to comply could result in a fine of Rs 10,000 per student or further legal action.

DEO Rohit Chaudhary emphasized that mandating purchases from selected vendors violates government norms and that strict action will be taken if schools fail to adhere to regulations. DeshGujarat