The Aam Aadmi Party government passed three bills on Tuesday, saying they are likely to bring major reforms to the Delhi education system. These include a bill that seeks to regulate and refund excess fees at private institutions, and another that does away with screening processes at nursery schools. The state government also passed an amendment to the Right to Education Act that will scrap the no-detention policy, meaning children can be held back in their year from Class 1 itself. Party chief Arvind Kejriwal said these bills were historic and will be especially effective in bringing down fees at private schools, DNA reported. Those who violate the rules will be punished with a heavy fine and a jail term, he said.

However, these legislations have faced a fair bit of criticism. Activists and educators have questioned the policy to allow children to be held back in early classes, calling it a regressive and damaging move. The Leader of Opposition Vijender Gupta called the fee verification bill “bogus”, saying it would encourage the exploitation, as it might mean poorer salaries for staff and pressure on parents to chip in when a school is fined. Two BJP MLAs staged a walk-out in the assembly on Tuesday. The party has also come under fire for forcing its MLAs to toe the official stand, not allowing them to vote against a legislation brought by the AAP.

The three bills passed on Tuesday:

  • Delhi School (Verification of Accounts and Refund of Excess Fee Bill) 2015 
  • The Delhi School Education (Amendment) Bill 2015 
  • The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (Delhi Amendment) Bill