BENGALURU: The Karnataka High Court on Wednesday issued notice to the State Government on three different petitions filed against the cut in tuition fee for the current academic year and the mandated clearances to be obtained from different authorities for the renewal of recognition for schools.
The Associated Managements of Primary and Secondary Schools in Karnataka (KAMS) and Karnataka State Minorities Educational Institutions Federation have filed separate petitions against the government notifications.
Hearing the petitions, Justice R Devdas ordered notice to the Chief Secretary, Principal Secretary, Department of Primary and Secondary Education and the Commissioner of Public Instruction. In a notification dated January 29, the government directed private unaided educational institutions to collect only 70 per cent of tuition fee and not to collect any other charges for the academic year 2020-21 due to Covid-19.
The KAMS contended that it has around 3,655 private unaided schools as members with 55,000 teaching and nonteaching staff and about 15 lakh students. In order to pay salaries, schools depend on academic fees. The managements contended that they are not in a position to pay salaries and other benefits.
The Karnataka State Minorities Educational Institutions Federation contended that the state government cannot interfere in fixation or collection fees in the light of the Supreme Court judgment in TMA Pai Foundation case. In another petition, KAMS and other schools challenged the circular issued by the Department of Primary and Secondary Education Department on November 10, 2020.
The circular, based on a Supreme Court judgment, mandates that schools adopt the National Building Code, and obtain ‘No Objection Certificate’ from the Department of Fire Safety and Emergency Services to renew recognition every five years.
Other rules in the circular include guidelines on overhead tanks, vacant places, roads and installation of fire extinguishers. The petitioners said the circular cannot be enforced as it is not a notification, but an inter-departmental note. For getting such NoCs, the schools have to pay the officials concerned. Already, managements are facing a financial crunch.