Follow court order on fee collection, says School Education Department

Any violation will lead to contempt of court, schools warned

The School Education Commissioner has reiterated that all unaided private schools scrupulously follow the recent directions of the Madras High Court on fee collection for the current academic year.

In a circular to all Chief Educational Officers (CEOs) and District Educational Officers (DEOs), K. Nandhakumar asked them to act according to the court directions that the DEOs take an appropriate decision in case of any dispute between parents/students and the school management over fee concession.

The DEOs and the CEOs have also been asked to ensure that students do not drop out and are not removed. Students who face difficulties have been asked to approach the educational officials in keeping with the court directions, and the officials can accommodate them in a nearby government, corporation, municipal or panchayat school.

Fee collection

The circular has asked all officials to instruct all unaided private schools again about fee collection for the 2021-22 academic year, and inform them that any violation will lead to contempt of court and call forth severe action from the School Education Department.

The court has said private schools should collect only 85% of the fees in six instalments from parents who have not suffered any income loss during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The parents who have lost their income can apply to the school management for the payment of 75% of the fees in six instalments. The fee should be what was fixed for the 2019-20 academic year.

Unaided private schools have also been told that they can collect the fee arrears for 2020-21 in instalments. The pleas of parents for a further concession on account of unemployment or closure of business can be considered sympathetically on a case-by-case basis.