[School Fees During Covid 19] Orissa HC Directs Mediation Between Private Schools & Parents [Read Order]

In the matter relating to charging of fees by private educational institutions, the Orissa High Court recently ordered the School & Mass Education Department of the State to convene a meeting between all the stakeholders to arrive at an amicable settlement. The Division Bench comprised of Chief Justice Mohammad Rafiq and Justice KR Mohapatra has asked the State government to convene a meeting of the representatives of the Private Un-Aided and Aided Educational Institutions and representatives of the parents and teachers' association. The meeting is aimed to provide a platform to the stakeholders to discuss the long-standing demand of parents to grant waiver of a portion of fees, especially fee on certain heads, like Development, Uniform, Conveyance, etc., due to the ongoing pandemic COVID-19. "The Secretary, School & Mass Education Department shall make an endeavour in the proposed meeting whether the private educational institutions can be persuaded for waiver of a portion of fees payable by the students or accept part of the fees by deferring remaining part or whether any other kind of consensus can be arrived at on such terms that may be agreed upon between the parties, in view of the ongoing pandemic COVID-19 and also examine whether any unreasonable and excessive fees is being demanded by any of the private educational institutions on unreasonable head such as development fee, uniform charges, conveyance charges, or other charges of the like nature," the order states.