TN: Madras High Court permits private schools, colleges to collect 35% of annual fee
CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Wednesday allowed private schools and colleges in Tamil Nadu to collect 35% of the annual fee for the academic year 2020-21. This will be in addition to the 40% fee already permitted to be collected as ordered by the court.
Justice N Anand Venkatesh passed the orders on a plea after observing that schools are unlikely to be reopened by the end of this year and allowed the schools to collect 35% apart from 40% already permitted by the court.
The High Court in an order on July 17 permitted the management schools in the State to collect for the 2020-21 academic year with 75% of the fees collected during the previous academic year. Of this, 40% can be collected as advance fees on or before August 31. The balance 35% shall be collected within two months from the date of reopening and commencement of physical classes. The court also extended the deadline for payment of 40% of school fees from August 31 to September 30.
The court passed the directions on the batch of pleas moved by the private educational institutions challenging the state government’s order restraining them from demanding fees during the lockdown.
The court also granted time till February 28, 2021, for the parents to pay the 35% fees. The court also granted liberty to the educational institutions to collect 35% in installments by issuing an appropriate circular.
The court, while passing the orders, also directed the authorities to conduct inquiries and initiate appropriate action against institutions that were alleged to have demanded payment of the full fee in violation of the court order.
During the earlier hearing, the CBSE informed the court that a total of 32 schools were found to have violated the court order by collecting excess fees.
The CBSE department during the hearing on Wednesday failed to file any comprehensive report on the schools violating the order as directed by the court.
Expressing disappointment, Justice Anand Venkatesh directed for the appearance of the principal secretary of school education if no report is filed on March 1, 2021.
There were mixed reactions to the court order. S Arumainathan, president, Tamil Nadu Students Parents Welfare Association, said: "Till the classes are conducted online, it is not fair to collect 75% of the fees. For the school, there are no infrastructure costs at all currently. In turn, parents are paying internet charges and buying mobile phones and laptops for their children to attend online classes. We recommend the schools to collect 50% of the fee in two or three installments."
However, private school managements were very relieved by the order. "We welcome Madras High Court's order, but the issue is a lot of people have not even paid 40% of the fees. Due to this, teachers are not being paid. Most of the schools are run after taking loans and now all of them are in a lurch.
"The government must first mandate and put pressure on the payment of the 40% of the fees," said KR Nandakumar, general secretary, TN Nursery, Primary, Matriculation and CBSE Schools Association.