K'tka Govt allowing schools to levy 85% fees a blow for parents

Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court has allowed unaided schools in the state to collect 85 per cent of their annual fees for the academic year 2020-21, setting a blow for parents from middle and lower-income sections, The News Minute (TNM) reported.

Now parents are required to pay 85 per cent of the total fees, including maintenance and other fees, rather than the same percentage of the tuition fee as mandated by the state government through an order dated November 12.

The fees were slashed during the pandemic induced lockdown, accounting for the hardship faced by the parents through the economic slowdown.

Justice Ashok S Kinagi in his December 7 order has stayed the government's November order which was an interim one. The court was hearing a petition filed by the Karnataka Education Society and others.

Appearing for St Paul's English School and Presidency School, senior advocates Uday Kumar Holla and Farah Fathima argued that the government's order on fee collection led to confusion and chaos.

They mentioned the Supreme Court order of May 2021 regarding the same issue in which the SC had allowed only a reduction of 15 per cent of the total fees and stayed further reduction ordered by the Rajasthan government.

The Karnataka HC had ordered a 30 per cent cut in September 2021. However, the HC now added to its ruling that the reduction is of 15 per cent while not changing the mandate of the state government order, which prohibited schools from charging anything over tuition fees, TNM reports.

But parent's associations in the state were unhappy with the HC ruling and demanded the state government appoint a fee regulatory body for private schools.

The case is to be heard again in January 2022.