Maharashtra government’s big decision regarding ‘school fees’, relief to parents

Mumbai: The state government has taken a big decision to settle the school fee case and present the government’s side in the High Court. It has been decided to constitute a committee of education experts at the government level to look into legal issues and submit a report to the government on reducing school fees. However, it remains to be seen what the final verdict will be.

During lockdown, some institutes as well as schools also adopted strictness on paying tuition fees from parents. After receiving several complaints in this regard, the government had issued a circular to all the management schools not to force the students to pay the current and next year’s tuition fees. However, some private organizations had filed a petition in the High Court against the government’s decision.

For all medium, board and pre-primary to twelfth grade students, the remaining fees should be taken in phases instead of once or in three months. There will be no fee hike in the academic year 2020-21. The government had also ordered that the option of online fees be given. After the organizations filed a petition against it, the Mumbai High Court granted an interim stay on the government’s decision without giving them an opportunity to file an affidavit.

The government then filed a petition in the Supreme Court against it. The apex court directed the state government to file the affidavit within a week. After this, the government also filed an affidavit. The case has been heard in the High Court 23 times so far and is currently in the final stages.