HC asks Odisha govt to accept fee waiver slab for private schools

In the absence of any law inOdisha to determine and fix the tuition fees of privateschools, the high court on Thursday asked the state governmentto accept the reduced fee slab as proposed by a committeeformed at the behest of the court.

A bench of Chief Justice S Muralidhar and Justice B RSarangi that individuals or parents associations still havingobjections to the proposed slab can approach the court afresh.

The bench disposed of the main petition and orderedthat no further hearing would be held in about half-a-dozenother petitions that had almost a common prayer.

The petitioners had sought judicial intervention for areduction of fees in private schools during the lockdownperiod as the institutes were either completely closed orpartially functioning with online classes since March 2020.

As the legal tussle continued without a governmentmodality to fix tuition fees of private institutes, the OdishaHigh Court last year had suggested that the state governmentform a joint committee with representatives from school andparents associations.

The joint committee had recommended a waiver of eithertuition fees or composite fees under seven slabs and for theactual waiver of transport and food charges, if any.