The Private Schools Fee Determination Committee, headed by Justice K. Raviraja Pandian, started hearing appeals from schools that had petitioned seeking revision in the fee stipulated to them.
On Monday, nearly 100 schools from Kanyakumari and Tirunelveli were summoned by the Committee. A majority of the school representatives expressed satisfaction after given a chance to express their grievances on the fee structure.
Sister Gina Mary, principal and correspondent, Little Flower School, Ramanputhoor, Nagercoil, said they got a patient hearing for about 10 minutes. “I explained to the Committee that it is impossible to pay salaries to teachers with the fee structure stipulated to us,” she said.
Another school representative, S. Nagarajan of Annai Chellamal Nursery Primary School, Nagercoil, said he appealed to the Judge to increase the primary class fee from Rs. 3,000 to Rs. 5,000.
School representatives said they were made to give a declaration in writing that the Committee gave a hearing to their grievances. Justice Raviraja Pandian, a Chartered Accountant, and representatives from School Education Department comprised the panel listening to grievances. Each of the requests was being written down by another representative and some schools also submitted additional documents to prove the budgetary expense they incur.
According to a source, the petitions from schools would also be heard on Tuesday, after which a review would be done by the Committee. The appeals of the remaining schools would be resumed from next week. Around 6,400 schools have appealed for a revision in the fee stipulated to them by the Committee, which was headed by Justice Govindarajan.
