Shimla: Himachal Pradesh High Court has allowed the private schools to charge monthly tuition fees. A division Bench of Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan and Justice Jyotsna Rewal Dua passed the judgment and also directed not to charge any late fee.
High Court, while passing judgment on two petitions, one filed by the Independent School Associations – seeking quashing of the notification issued by the Director Education restraining the private schools to charge fee and another filed by a parent against Lawrence School Sanawar, seeking fee waiver for the sessions 2020-21 and refund of the already received fees by the school excluding tuition fees.
The High Court bench directed the state to examine the issue of difference between residential/non-residential/partially residential school vis-a-vis applicability of any direction which will be issued by the state. The court observed that
“the Additional Advocate General could not justify as to why even the tuition fee has not been permitted to be collected by the private schools. In case, private schools cannot authoritatively charge even the ‘tuition fee’ then it is beyond comprehension as to how they will pay the monthly salary to their staff. It cannot be assumed that private schools have unending supply of reserve funds with them.”
The High Court directed the state government to re-examine the conditions imposed by it upon private schools in its communication issued on May 27, whereby it had directed the privately managed schools not to charge any fee from students except tuition fee.
High Court also directed the state government to take a fresh decision within a period of four weeks.
