While hearing the Vineet Ruia case Calcutta High Court directed parents to remit 80% of fees demanded for August and September. In Vineet Ruia v. State of West Bengal case, while hearing pleas seeking the reduction of school fees charged by private schools in light of pandemic-induced financial constraints and reduced infrastructure maintenance expenses, the Calcutta High Court yesterday issued a series of directions.
In July, Vineet Ruia filed a PIL representing nearly 15,000 parents from 112 private, unaided Kolkata schools affiliated to different boards. The PIL claimed that even though these institutions remained shut for four months they continued to demand regular fees and some even barred students from attending online classes over non-payment of dues. Ruia’s lawyer, Priyanka Agarwal, said they had sought discount on fees due to "reduced cost in the running of the schools over the last four months."
The petition is expected to be taken up next on September 14, 2020.
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Directions And Observations Made By The Court
- Parents have been directed to remit 80% of the fee demanded by the schools for the months of August and September.
- In the event such fees are deposited, online classes should be made available to the students irrespective of whether such facilities had been disrupted earlier.
- Parents who have arrears of fees may pay the amounts due by September 14.
- An order on allowing school fee reductions cannot be issued "across the board" considering varied fixed costs and expenses between schools.
- Schools may be asked to set up committees comprising three senior teachers and three parents, chaired by the School head to consider the issue of fee reductions.
- Suggestions on fee reductions should be made voluntarily by these committees, which may be formally constituted at the next hearing.
The Bench of Justices Sanjib Banerjee and Moushumi Bhattacharya also recorded its appreciation for the voluntary fee reductions that all unaided private schools had provided to the parents "without exception." "It is heartening to note that almost without exception the schools which have participated at today’s hearing have said that they have entertained, on a case-to-case basis, appeals by the parents of the students who have been financially hit or have lost their jobs or have been unable to pay the fees whether in full or at all", the Court said.
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The Bench noted that some schools failed to furnish a month-wise break up of the expenses incurred while others had questionable heads of income, to which the Committee had expressed reservations. The schools have been directed to file the account statements before the Court in sealed covers, to maintain confidentiality.
Khushi Gupta is an intern at SheThePeople.TV
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