No Student To Be Expelled Over Non-Payment Of Fees: HC Directs Private Schools In Punjab

The interim relief provided by Punjab and Haryana HC comes after the Amarinder Singh government filed an appeal.

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Chandigarh: The Punjab and Haryana High Court has instructed private schools in Punjab that no student can be expelled over non-payment of fees until the court pronounces the final verdict over the matter. The Punjab and Haryana High Court, on Monday, issued a notice after receiving appeals filed by the state. This interim decision has come as a relief for parents who were staring at the threat of their ward(s) being expelled from their school while they were unable to pay school fees because of the circumstances induced by the coronavirus pandemic. The appeals were filed by the Advocate General's office on the behalf of Chief Minister Amarinder Singh. This relief will be applicable to all those students and parents who have not paid school fees and had filed an application before the school and the state regulator, under the Punjab Regulation of Fee of Un-aided Educational Institutions Act, 2016, citing financial difficulty. The high court further directed school authorities to expeditiously reach a decision on the applications of such parents. Earlier, the state had filed an appeal before the division bench against the order of a single-judge jury that allowed schools to charge full fees irrespective of whether online classes were being conducted or not, and to charge expenses incurred for the lockdown period. However, the single judge had allowed parents facing financial difficulty to apply for exemption or waiver of the fee. Punjab Government had expressed its willingness to allow schools to charge tuition fees for the online classes being held while considering the plight of parents. It had also encouraged schools to share the details of the expenses incurred by them. (With Agency Inputs) WATCH | SC Refuses To Entertain Plea On School Fees, Asks Parents To Approach High Court