CHENNAI: With schools shut again due to the pandemic, issues related to fees have come to the fore. Some schools have been demanding payment of the full fee, while parents say this is unfair since classes aren’t being conducted.
As per a government directive, schools are to only collect 85 per cent of the fees.
An official in charge of tackling these complaints in Chennai refused to comment on how many schools faced action for such violations, and said erring institutions are issued a "warning". "In some cases, we ask them to return the excess fee collected," the official added.
For 2020-21, the Madras High Court permitted private unaided schools in TN to collect 85 per cent of the annual fees in six installments from students whose parents had not suffered loss of income during the pandemic.
Those who suffered loss of income may apply to the school management, which is to consider their requests and collect 75 per cent of the fees, as per a circular from the School Education Department.
"If schools conduct classes, we can consider paying. Offline classes are held for hardly a couple of hours. Students learn more in tuition classes. Even demanding 85 per cent of the fee is not right," said P Vijayakanth, a parent of a Class 11 student in a private school.
Some schools have been demanding that students who are newly admitted pay the entire fee in a single installment. "I enquired at three private schools around Mylapore for admission to Class 6. All demanded full fees before joining. This is looting," said R Praveen, another parent.
When contacted, a telephone operator with the education helpline (11417) said, "We forward complaints regarding overcharging to the Chief Education Officer of the district concerned, and aren’t responsible for taking action."
Meanwhile, teachers complain that they are not being paid, as schools say non-payment of fees has led to a fund crunch. "When the pandemic began in 2020, a lot of teachers lost jobs and my pay was halved - from Rs 17,000 to Rs 8,500. This isn’t even enough to provide three meals a day," said K Vinitha, a private school teacher at Velachery.
School authorities said delayed fee payment has caused them hardships. Besides salaries, their expenses include electricity bills, taxes, insurance, and provident fund, they said.