The COVID pandemic had nearly repealed the school education system in the country. With all classes being conducted online, parents across different cities raised multiple objections refusing to pay the complete amount of the school fee. Three educational organisations in Rajasthan petitioned the court in this regard. Coming to the rescue of the schools, the Supreme Court instructed in its recent judgment that the parents will have to pay 100% fee for the academic session 2020-21 that happened during the pandemic, equal to the amount that was paid for the session 2019-20.
HC order directing a cut in tuition fees stands quashed
Recently, a special leave petition was filed by Vidya Bhavan Society, the managerial association of Sawai Mansingh Vidyalaya, Gandhi Seva Sadan and the Society of Catholic Education Institutions which questioned the provisions of the Fee Regulation Act 2016. In a joint hearing of the submissions on Monday, the apex court of the country ruled that the school fee amount won’t be reduced for the academic session that progressed during the pandemic.
Previously, the state government of Rajasthan had announced on October 28 that parents will have to pay 60% of the fee amount if their ward studies in a state board affiliated school and 70% of the fee if the child is a student of a school recognised by CBSE. The move was in accordance with the High Court’s order which had directed a cut in the tuition fees for the period during the pandemic. With the latest Supreme court order, this HC judgment stands quashed. The apex court has also intervened with the state administration asking it to give the remaining amounts under Right to Education admission within a month.
Students will not bear the brunt of non-payment of fees
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As per the court orders, parents have been asked to submit the complete school fee from March 3, 2021. Providing some relief to the parents, the court has allowed the parents to pay the complete amount through six instalments. The highest judicial authority in the country also maintained that the children will not be bearing the brunt of non-payment of fees. It notified in its orders that students from class 10th and 12th will not be deterred from taking their final examinations in case the fee is not paid. Additionally, SC also instructed that no pupil’s name would be stricken out from the school’s registers for non-payment of fees.
