Fee imbroglio: Schools relieved but parents unhappy with court order SWEET & SOUR Pvt schools Said Govt’s 30% Fee Cut Order Created A Major Crisis

Fee imbroglio: Schools relieved but parents unhappy with court order

SWEET & SOUR Pvt schools Said Govt’s 30% Fee Cut Order Created A Major Crisis

45% Of Adult Population Suffers Persistent Pain

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Bengaluru:17.09.2021

While private school managements cheered the high court’s order on the issue of fees, parents associations were understandably dissatisfied.

The high court disposed of pleas by schools contesting the government’s diktat ordering a 30% tuition fee cut, by pointing out that the Supreme Court had settled the issue in a petition filed by unaided schools in Rajasthan. In that case, the SC had ordered schools not to charge more than 85% of fees collected in 2019-20 for the academic year 2020-21.

D Shashi Kumar, secretary, Association of Primary and Secondary Schools of Karnataka said: “When the government told us to reduce 30% of tuition fee and not charge any other fees, it worked out to a cut of almost 45%-50% of total fees. For many of us, it created a major crisis. The HC order is a welcome one. Many schools have already waived more than 30% fees. If parents are in a financial crisis, they can approach school managements for a waiver.”

Recognised Unaided Private Schools Association, another group of private schools, also welcomed the HC’s order.

Lokesh T, president of the association, said: “We welcome the HC move. Last year, in rural Karnataka, several parents were awaiting a government order to pay fees. We request the government to find a permanent solution to this problem.”

He said schools affiliated to the association are willing to waive fees this year too. “We gave a 30% concession last year and we will continue with it this year as well,” Lokesh said.

However, parents were an unhappy lot. Ganesh Poojary, member of Voice of Parents-Karnataka, said: “I can react only after reading the judgement copy. The Karnataka government had ordered schools not to collect anything other than tuition fee and to reduce it by 30%. Now it depends on what the HC order says. If they have kept the Karnataka government order in mind and reduced that 30% to a lower figure, it may not help us, but we are ready to accept it. But if the order says the reduction is on the overall fees [all other heads besides tuition fees], it is unacceptable.”

Many parents said the reduction is meagre and only symbolic.