The Madras High Court has directed the Tamil Nadu government to issue a circular to school managements across the state, instructing them not to insist on production of Transfer Certificates (TCs) from previous institutions for admitting new students.
As reported by the Bar and bench, the court has also prohibited schools from making unnecessary entries related to non-payment or delayed payment of school fees in TCs.
The bench of Justices SM Subramaniam and C Kumarappan stated that schools must not misuse a student's TC as a "tool to collect arrears" of fees.
The court's directions aim to prevent schools from holding TCs back until all fee arrears are cleared or making entries of pending or non-payment of fees on the TC, which amounts to a breach of the Right to Education (RTE) Act and constitutes mental harassment as defined under Section 17 of the RTE Act.
As per the report, the court also suggested that the Tamil Nadu government consider amending the Tamil Nadu Education Rules and Code of Regulation for Matriculation Schools to reflect the court's directions and ensure that the rules are in consonance with the RTE Act.
