Schools cannot charge full fees in lockdown, know Supreme Court decision on school fees issue

- The Supreme Court gave various directions to 36000 private schools in Rajasthan

New delhi date. May 4, 2021, Tuesday

Everyone is going through a difficult time in this time of the core epidemic. Schools have been closed for a long time and parents are in trouble for education and fees. Schools have their own arguments, while parents have their own arguments. The issue of school fees also reached the High Courts in many states last year. The controversy then reached the Supreme Court. In this regard, both the decision and the directive of the Supreme Court have come today. The apex court said that schools could not recover the full fee during the lockdown.

The Supreme Court on Monday directed 36,000 non-aided private schools in Rajasthan to charge 15 per cent lower fees annually from students for the academic year 2020-21. At the same time, the court directed the administrators not to prevent any student from joining the class or offline if the fee is not paid. Their exams and results should also not be withheld.

The apex court upheld the Rajasthan High Court's order rejecting an application filed against the Rajasthan Vidyalaya Act 2016 and the rules framed under the Schools Fee Determination Act. The 128-page judgment of Justice A M Khanwilkar and Justice Dinesh Maheshwari clarified that the fees for the academic session 2020-21 would be paid by students or parents in six equal installments.

The bench also said that it could not be denied that the complete lockdown imposed due to the epidemic had created an unprecedented situation. It has had a serious impact on the people, the business world and the country as a whole. Justice Khanwilkar mentioned in the judgment that a large number of people have lost their jobs in this type of economic crisis. The appellant may charge a fee from his students for the academic session 2019-20 in accordance with the provisions prescribed under the law of the year 2016, but for the academic session 2020-21 the fee may be charged 15 per cent less considering the facilities not used by the students. The school can give more concessions to its students if it wants.