The High Court of Karnataka on Thursday ordered issue of notice to the State government on a petition filed by a group of private schools seeking direction to the government to allow them to collect 50% of fee for the academic year 2020-21 at present and to demand payment of pending fees of the previous academic year.
Justice R. Devdas passed the order on a petition filed by the Karnataka Private Schools’ Committee, a group of over 100 managements running private schools.
The petitioner has complained that the circulars issued on April 24 and 28 imposing restriction on collection of fees by schools in view of COVID-19 has put the managements of schools in severe financial hardship leading to difficulty even to pay salaries of teaching and non-teaching staff by unaided private schools across the State.
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It has been pointed out that several parents are not paying pending fees of the previous academic year of 2019-20 as the schools were closed from March 23, before completion of previous academic year.
Even though the schools have continued education in digital mode – either online or other methods – to ensure that students should not suffer, majority of the parents were not paying fees interpreting government’s circular to mean that they need not pay fees till regular classes are started.
Though government’s circular allows payment of current academic year’s fee in instalment, absence of any specific period to pay instalments had led to non-payment of fees as only 1 to 2% of parents have paid fees.
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On the one hand, the government mandates payment of regular salary to teachers and other staff by the schools and on the other the government’s circular has tied the hands of schools in asking parents to pay even portions of fee resulting in lack of fund to pay salaries, the petitioner pointed out.
The petitioner has also questioned the government’s direction to the schools not to enhance fees for the current academic year.