New Delhi: On the day Delhi govt introduced the education bill in the assembly, the city witnessed a divide among parents. While a section of them announced plans to protest outside the assembly on Tuesday, calling the bill an attack on their rights, others welcomed it as a long-awaited step towards greater regulation and transparency in school fee structures.According to the protesting parents, the proposed bill dilutes their ability to raise fee-related complaints by mandating that at least 15% of the parents in a school must jointly support a grievance before it can be formally registered. They allege that this requirement will discourage individual voices and limit accountability. The bill, they claim, gives private schools unchecked powers to introduce vague new fee categories that could justify arbitrary hikes. It also seeks to retrospectively legalise previously unauthorised charges—fees earlier deemed illegal—thereby undermining past rulings and weakening trust between parents and school administrations, they allege. The removal of mandatory financial audits, they argue, will further shield schools from scrutiny.“What is particularly alarming is a clause that restricts parents from approaching civil courts over fee disputes. This provision, along with the overall weakening of the Delhi School Education Act rules, will leave families vulnerable to exploitation. Instead of safeguarding the interests of students and parents, the bill appears to favour private school lobbies,” one parent remarked.Defending the bill, education minister Ashish Sood said, “Within four months of our tenure, we are on track to introduce this bill. I assure people that their concerns will be deliberated in Vidhan Sabha and addressed.” Despite the assurances, aggrieved parents plan to gather outside the assembly. “This protest is about protecting our children’s future and standing up for an accountable, equitable education system,” a parent said.Meanwhile, another group of parents argued that the bill addressed long-standing grievances. A school’s parent association described the bill as “a structured and transparent framework” designed to curb arbitrary fee hikes and hidden charges. “It proposes prior approval for fee increases, mandatory public disclosure of school financial records and penalties for violations. These measures are a significant step forward,” it stated.