Private schools will be asked not to charge fee for Sept-Oct

State government on Tuesday assured High Court that they will issue a circular asking the private schools not to charge fee for September and October 2014.

Recently there was a growing controversy between the Parent’s body and private schools as later had asked students to pay the fee saying that high court in last directions have given them freedom to collect fee for these two months.

On this Patrents’ body approached high court again seeking clarification of previous order in the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) and rectification in the order as according to them there was no mention of fee in the direction which gave room to confusion.

On Tuesday the Commissioner Secretary School Education appeared in court and stated that a circular will be issued by the department soon which will ask private schools not to charge fee for the months of September and October 2014.

Shalin Kabra told the court that no fee hike will be allowed to be made by school management unless cleared by committee.

The committee to be headed by a retired judge has not been constituted yet. On this Commissioner Secretary states that process to nominating a retired judge as chairman of the committee has been imitated and within a shorter period, the chairman will be nominated.

A division bench comprising Justice N. Paul Vasanthakumar and Justice Ali Muhamamd Magrey granted weeks’ time to the education department to produce the copy of circular and listed the case for July 14.

Court also issued notice to president of unaided Private Schools Coordination Committee GN Var to respond to the allegations levelled by Parents body about contempt of court.

In a press conference, Var had stated that High Court order has given them ‘liberty’ to ‘collect all types of fees as in August 2014’ and that the order will be implemented in letter and spirit.

Parent Association of Privately Administered School (PAPAS) had been protesting against the schools alleging them of violating the High Court orders.

The body approached court asking for rectification of order under section152 of CPC.

Parents submitted before the court the schools have deliberately misinterpreted the court directions and hence forcing students to pay school fee. “The Management of private schools are taking advantage of the omission in respect of non-charging of the fee for September-October 2014 and also pressuring students to pay fee and also enhanced fee at exorbitant rates besides sale of books and stationary have become a routine,” he added.

They prayed that contempt proceeding be uninitiated against GN Var and Commissioner Secretary Education after which court issued notices to the contemptors-GN Var and Commissioner Secretary Education to respond to the allegations.