Prayagraj: The Allahabad High Court On Monday asked schools in the state to refund 15 per cent fees of children for 2020-21 when offline classes could not be held due to the pandemic.
A bench of Chief Justice Rajesh Bindal and Justice J.J. Munir said that 15 per cent of the entire fees charged in the session 2020-21 will have to be adjusted in the next session.
A petition had been filed on behalf of many parents regarding regulation of school fees being charged during the Corona period.
In the court, on behalf of the petitioner parents, it was emphasised that no service except online tuition was provided in private schools in the year 2020-21. Thus, charging even a single rupee more than the tuition fees by private schools is nothing but profiteering and commercialisation of education, they had argued.
The petitioners have also cited the recent judgment of the Supreme Court in Indian School, Jodhpur v. State of Rajasthan in support of their contention, which states that private schools demanding fees without providing any service amounts to profiteering of education.
As per the order of the High Court, the schools will also have to refund 15 per cent of the fee charged in the year 2020-21 to the children who have left the school.
To do this whole process, the High Court has given all the schools 2 months' time. All the petitions were heard on January 6 and the decision has come on Monday.
