School fees issue: Parents may move court to seek uniform rule for hikes, other charges

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Even as schools across the country resume physical classes amidst the COVID-19 outbreak, parents are a disappointed lot. Schools have started to hike fees and different decisions by the various high courts are only adding to the confusion.

Take Delhi’s Arunima Dhawan, for instance. Her 12-year-old twins are admitted to a private school in the Delhi-NCR region. While the school had kept the fees constant till June, it has been hiked by 25 percent from July 2020.

Dhawan and several other parents had sought the reasons for fee hike, considering that physical expenses are significantly lower with online classes. The school, however, has not given any response and has given time till December 31 to pay the fees, failing which the child could be delisted.

“We need to know why the school is hiking fees now. If we don’t get a response, we will be forced to move the Delhi High Court,” she added.

A series of decisions on fee hikes have already been given by the Delhi High Court, the Madras High Court, the Gujarat High Court and the Calcutta High Court, among others. However, parents argue that there should be one uniform view on how much fees should be charged, what should be the components included, and whether there can be a hike.

What are the courts saying?

A petition was filed in the Delhi High Court, seeking details of the exact quantum of hike in private schools in the region.

In response to this, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government said that the authorities will upload the information on the department of education website, once the orders are finalised.

Parents, however, are not convinced. In the absence of any details on the quantum of fee hike permitted, parents are unwilling to make any commitment to pay.

“We were asked by my son’s school to give in writing that we have accepted the fee hike of 15 percent applicable from October. Why should we give an undertaking? How do we know whether the school has taken permission?” said Delhi-based Dhananjay Mishra.

Also Read: Schools, students spar over fee payment issue

A similar confusion prevails in Tamil Nadu as well. On November 18, the Madras High Court permitted private schools to collect 35 percent of the annual fee for this academic year. This was in addition to the 40 percent fee collection that was allowed earlier.

However, what is not clear is what are the fee components that will be permitted and what aspects are disallowed.

Thirty-six-year-old Malathi Suresh, whose 10-year-old daughter studies in a Chennai-based private school, expressed concerns about how this decision will be implemented. She has already paid the 40 percent fee despite the school ‘barely holding classes’.

“From June, when classes reopened, my daughter would have attended two to three classes of 3 -4-hour duration on an average every week. In these five months, the school has mostly asked children to study the given material and contact teachers for doubts. Why should I be paying any fees then?” she said.

Moneycontrol had reported earlier how fee payment has been a bone of contention between schools and parents amidst the COVID-19 outbreak. There have also been allegations of schools removing students’ names from classes for non-payment or delay in fees.

In Gujarat, a group of schools had threatened to shut down online classes after the state government asked them to not charge fees during the lockdown. However, the Gujarat HC set aside this order and said that self-financed schools can charge fees.

On the other hand, the Calcutta High Court has asked schools in the region to charge only 80 percent of the basic fees. This was contested in the Supreme Court, which refused to stay this order. The Calcutta HC had also advised schools to not hike fees this year owing to the pandemic.

But parents allege that schools are not following these guidelines fully. A slew of parents from a South Kolkata-based parents’ association are planning to move the Calcutta HC, seeking clear directions on what are the fee components chargeable and also to take penal action against violation by schools.

“My daughter doesn’t use the school library or the basketball court. Why should parents be paying maintenance fee for these facilities,” asked GV Ghalib, whose son and daughter study in a private school in the city.

Will education ministry intervene?

While petitions have been sent to the school education department of the education ministry, sources said that there is a consensus that the ministry will not interfere in individual matters across states.

Education, being on the Concurrent List, both the Centre and states have the right to regulate on this matter. However, when it comes to schools, there are public, private, and partially aided and international schools. Private schools are run by trusts or individual businessmen while international schools follow guidelines from global entities like UK-based Cambridge IGCSE.

The education ministry has only advised schools to allow payment of fees on an installment basis and not hike charges this year. However, this is only an advisory and not a mandate.