Full fee demand: Court warns schools, colleges

Full fee demand: Court warns schools, colleges

Seeks Report By August 17

Sureshkumar.K@timesgroup.com

Chennai:01.08.2020

Private schools and colleges demanding payment of full annual fee from parents in violation of an earlier order by the Madras high court will face contempt of court proceedings, the court said on Friday.

Justice N Anand Venkatesh issued the warning after additional government pleader V Annalakshmi made an urgent mention about the state receiving several complaints from parents about schools and colleges insisting on paying the entire fee in violation of the interim order. She said parents are hesitant to give a written complaint fearing adverse consequences.

Taking a serious note of the issue, the judge directed authorities to conduct an inquiry and file a report by August 17.

Making it clear that persons incharge of such private educational institutions will be hauled up for contempt, the judge said, “This court is taking a very serious note of the violation brought to its notice. Based on the oral complaint, the education department shall conduct an immediate enquiry and if it is found that the institutions are collecting fees in violation of the interim orders passed by this court, immediate action shall be taken against them.”

Only 40% advance fee permitted

The issue pertains to challenges made by associations of educational institutions against the government order prohibiting them from demanding fee during lockdown. On July 17, the court allowed them to collect an ‘advance’ fee of 40% before August 31. This apart, since fee fixed for some institutions had expired and fee fixation committees were yet to frame the new structure, it was agreed to fix 75% of the last year’s fee as this year’s annual fee provisionally. The remaining 35% (minus 40% advance) shall be collected within two months of reopening of institutions, the court had said.