This is a situation that many parents would be too familiar with. The practice of many schools demanding payment of fee before the start of classes and refusing to refund it in case the child opts for another school has put many families to hardship over the years.
However, one such parent who took the matter to the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum, Chennai (South) has recently benefited from a favourable direction, with the forum ordering the school to refund the donation money, as well as the admission fee paid, apart from awarding a compensation of `25,000 for causing mental agony.
According to the petitioner, one Vijay Srinivasalu, sought admission for his daughter Sarisha in Class I at St John’s Dr Rajkumar Smart Kids’ School in Mandaveli for the academic year 2012-2013.
The petitioner said as per the “demand” by the school in the name of norms, he paid `50,000 towards “donation” and `39,700 towards admission fees besides other charges. But, the school gave a receipt only for the admission fees and failed to give receipt for the donation.
While the school was set to reopen on June 26, 2012, due to unforeseen changes in the petitioner’s employment, he was to go abroad for an assignment. This was conveyed to the Principal of the school through a letter on April 18 and a refund of the payments was sought. However, the school replied stating that payments once made cannot be refunded. This forced the Vijay to approach the forum.
Passing orders after scrutinizing the documents produced by the complainant, President of the forum, V Gopal, noted that the school authority cited as respondent did not appear before the forum in the case. Neither was a written reply filed.
Therefore, terming the action of the school as unfair trade practice, the forum ordered the school to repay the total sum of `89,700 paid by the complainant within six weeks apart from `25,000 for the mental agony caused to the complainant. In addition, `5,000 should also be paid to the parent towards the cost of the complaint.
In case of failure, the total amount will carry an interest of 9 per cent per annum till the date of payment.