Schools should take annual pro-rated charges after reopening: Minister (Representation)
Chandigarh:
The Punjab government will challenge the High Court, which has allowed private schools to collect tuition fees “regardless of the online course offerings.”
State Education Minister Vijay Inder Singla said the state government had decided to appeal to a court of two Punjab judges and the Haryana court against the order.
On Tuesday, judge Nirmaljit Kaur authorized private schools to collect tuition fees “regardless of the offer of online courses” during the coronavirus blocking period.
The court also authorized schools to collect admission fees. However, schools have been prevented from increasing tuition fees for 2020-2021.
Speaking to mediators on Wednesday, the education minister said parents could not get relief on the issue, although the court prevented schools from raising tuition fees.
He said the issue was discussed at the Punjab cabinet meeting chaired by chief minister Amarinder Singh on Tuesday.
The decision to appeal the order was made after a meeting attended by Singla, Secretary General Vini Mahajan, General Counsel Atul Nanda and Secretary of Education Krishan Kumar.
The state government maintained that private schools, which do not provide online courses, should not charge fees.
The minister said schools should take annual pro-rated charges after they reopen.
The minister said the state government has always wanted to provide relief to parents of students following the coronavirus pandemic.
He said that when the lockdown was imposed in March, the education department had ordered schools not to charge fees until it was there.
He said the department allowed private schools to charge tuition fees to provide online education to students.
The ministry also ordered that no annual, administrative and transportation fees be collected from parents, the minister said.
