BHOPAL: The school education department said that private schools can only charge tuition fee for the lockdown period. The formal directives were issued on Saturday.
The school education department had issued similar directives on April 24 and May 16, 2020. But the Association of Unaided CBSE Schools filed a writ petition in Indore High Court against the government order. The High Court ruled in favour of state government - not allowing private schools to charge fee other than the tuition fee. Later, other petitions were filed before the principal bench of Jabalpur High Court. Clubbing all the petitions, Jabalpur bench of Madhya Pradesh High Court too passed the order favouring state government.
In the order, the Indore High Court bench had said, “It is made clear that petitioner/institution shall not be charging any sum towards non-incurred expenses during the period of lockdown (till the schools are closed) such as transportation, mess…” Delivering judgment on September 1, the Jabalpur bench said the interim order passed earlier is modified to the extent that schools shall be entitled to recover the amount of tuition fee only from the students.”
The school education department has written letters to district collectors asking them to enforce court decision in letter and spirit and take action against violators.
