MAJOR RELIEF TO PARENTS IN STATE OF PUNJAB IN SCHOOL FEES MATTER

Chandigarh / PATHANKOT, July 20 (RAJINDER RAJAN BUREAU) :

In a major relief to the parents of students who were contesting the charging of school fees by private unaided schools, the High Court of Punjab & Haryana issued notice on the appeals filed by the State of Punjab and directed that in the interim no student would be struck off the rolls of the school.

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This relief would be applicable to all those students / parents who are unable to pay school fees and who had filed an application before the school and the State Regulator under the 2016 Act showing financial difficulty which applications are to be decided expeditiously by the authorities.

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After extensively hearing parties for more than 2 hours on the question of interim relief, the Division Bench of the High Court comprising of Hon Chief Justice Ravi Shankar Jha and Justice Arun Palli orally noted that ordinarily the Court would only have issued notice on the appeals however the interim order was being passed given the apprehension and anxiety expressed the AG Punjab on the effect of the judgment passed by the Ld. Single Judge.

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The State of Punjab had filed an appeal before the Ld. Division Bench of the High Court which had allowed the schools to charge fees irrespective of whether they were offering online education or not and to charge actual expenses incurred.

The matter will next be heard by the Division Bench of the High Court on the next date of hearing.