‘Don’t compel students to pay fees’

22/04/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT ,CHENNAI

K. Shanmugam

The Tamil Nadu government has directed all private colleges and schools in the State not to compel students or their parents to pay fees for the 2020-21 academic year or collect dues during the lockdown period.

A government order, issued by Chief Secretary K. Shanmugam, said students or their parents should also not be forced to pay dues for the 2019-20 academic year or be subjected to penalties for delays in making payments during the lockdown period. The government issued the direction under the Disaster Management Act, 2005.

“It was brought to the notice of the government that some private colleges/schools have been demanding fees from parents during this period of lockdown,” the G.O. said. The Revenue and Disaster Management Department had, in a G.O. dated April 15, extended restrictions across the State under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, to contain the spread of COVID-19, it pointed out.

Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami had earlier warned of action against the schools that were sending messages to parents, asking them to pay up.