Mita Mukherjee
After schools were shut down in mid-March as a preventive measure against spread of Covid-19, private schools had been complaining of financial crisis because of unwillingness of a large section of parents to pay their children’s fees.
Most private schools depend entirely on students’ fees to run the institutions and pay the salaries to teachers and non-teaching employees. The schools had been teaching the students through online classes.
Parents too had complained about their difficulties in paying the fees because of salary cuts, job loss and general slump in economy.
Parents’ bodies and associations of private school owners at several states moved court demanding solution to their problems.
Fees were slashed at several states following court orders. In some states fees have been reduced on the basis of state government orders while in some others the government has not intervened.
EducationWorld gives below the state-wise status of fees charged from students and latest court orders.
Gujarat
Fees: Twenty-five per cent reduction in tuition fee. Fees for co-curricular activities not charged.
HC: Schools can charge only tuition fees
Rajasthan
Fees: Thirty-percent fees reduction in tuition fees. No hike in the fee.
HC: Schools can charge 70 per cent of tuition fees. Parents can pay in three installments. No fee hike.
Maharashtra
Fee: No fee hike.
HC : No fee hike. Next hearing of case related to tuition fee issue in Bombay High Court in January first week.
Jharkhand
Fee: Only tuition fee. No hike.
HC: Same as above
West Bengal
Fee: Schools charging 80 per cent of the tuition fee. No hike. No fees charged for facilities not provided to students during closure
HC: Twenty per cent waiver of tuition fees between April 2020 and the month after schools resume physical classes. No fees for labs, sports, craft and facilities not used by students.
Odisha
Fee: Some schools charging full fees under all heads. Fees are same as last year. Some schools charging enhanced fees.
HC: A case on the fee issue is pending
Haryana
Fee: Only tuition fee. Many schools offering 10 to 20 per cent concession
HC: Schools can charge full tuition fee. No permission for collecting any other fee. One case is still pending in court.
Punjab
Fee: Only tuition fee charged as of now.
HC: Schools entitled to collect tuition fees. No hike. No annual charges. Final order pending
Chhattisgarh
Fees: Only tuition fee
HC: Schools can collect tuition fee. No upward revision till normalcy resumes.
Madhya Pradesh
Fee: Only tuition fee.
HC: Schools entitled to charge and recover tuition fee. Amount to remain same as last year.
Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry
Fee: Twenty five per cent reduction of entire fees .
HC: Schools can charge 75 per cent of all fees. In two installments. First 40 per cent and then 35 percent.
Delhi
Fee: Most schools charging only tuition fee.
HC: A section of schools moved court over charging development and other fees. Case still pending
Uttarakhand
Fee: Only tuition fee
HC: Schools can collect only tuition fee
Bihar
Fees: Schools charging full fees
State government: Schools can collect full fees but only on monthly basis
Karnataka
Fee: Left to school managements to decide on concessions.
No clear cut order
Uttar Pradesh
Fee: Schools charging full fees. No hike.
No order from court or government.
Assam
Fee: Fifty-per cent waiver on all fees till June 2020. Twenty-five per cent less charged for the remaining quarters.
No order from court or government
Tripura
Fee: Fees charged as per the schools’ convenience
There is no court or government order
Also read:
