The Calcutta High Court on Friday directed that student will have to pay the full claim of fees made by school authorities by October 25, 2021, while asking institutions not to deter any student from writing the school’s annual or mid-term assessment exams.
The court, while hearing several petitions on school fees during the pandemic when classes were being conducted in virtual mode, also directed that all eviction orders be kept in abeyance for the time being.
Students Will Have To Pay Full Claim Of Fees:
A division bench of Justices Mukherjee and M. Bhattacharya directed that the students will have to pay the full claim of fees including the disputed portion thereof.
The bench directed that the undisputed and disputed parts of the bill may be made and paid separately by each student, with such payment in a written note indicating the amount to be disputed.
Maintenance & Operation Of Schools Would Be Impossible:
The court directed that at present the school administration shall not prevent any student from appearing in any board or annual or mid-term assessment examination of the school.
The school authorities will have the right to use the entered amount immediately, while they will have to deposit the disputed amount in a separate account.
The bench said the affidavits submitted by the private school authorities claimed that several crores of rupees were owed from the students and if the fees were not received, it would be impossible to maintain and run the schools.
Non-Essential Charges Will Not Be Allowed For The Use Of Facilities Not Availed:
The High Court had on that day directed that there shall be no increase in school fees during the financial year 2020-21 and from the month beginning April, 2020 to the month in which schools will reopen in physical mode, all in that suit. The 144 schools involved will offer a minimum 20 percent reduction in fees across the board.
The petitioner parents claimed that the bills raised by the schools and other educational institutions are not in accordance with the order of a division bench dated October 13, 2020. It was further ordered that non-essential charges for not using the facilities shall not be allowed.
