Karnataka High court issues notice in a plea seeking collection of 50% school fees for the current academic year, pending fees of previous years.

Karnataka HC has issued a notice in a petition seeking a direction to the state government to allow the collection of 50% of school fees for the academic year 2020-21 and to demand payment of pending fees of the previous academic years.

Notice to the state government has been issued to the state government and directed the state to file its statement of objection. The plea mainly contended that two circulars were issued imposing restrictions on the collection of fees by school managements because of the COVID-19.

This had put the managements of unaided private schools in severe financial hardship, which in turn led to difficulty in paying salaries to teach and non-teaching staff.

The plea also reads that what needs to be stated is that the private institutions are being mandated to pay the salaries of the teachers in accordance with the rules and. In contrast, the Institutions are not being allowed to charge the fees simultaneously.

Though the Government's rules allowed for payment of the current academic year's fees in instalments due to absence of any specific period to pay these instalments only 1 to 2% of parents have paid fees the petitioner organization claimed.

The plea further submitted that currently, schools are conducting classes through online mode. The quality of education has not been compromised avers the petition.