A petition was filed in Calcutta High Court seeking for directions from the West Bengal government to regulate the fees of private schools that receive no aid from the state.
State education minister Partha Chatterjee had asked schools to not increase the fees in the new academic session under the backdrop of Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. A formal advisory had also been sent to schools in this regard.
Parents of some students of a New Town school had moved Court asking for directions from the state, mentioning that despite the state’s advisory, the schools were imposing a late fine instead of relaxing it.
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The petition appeals to the High Court to direct the state government to ensure no late fine is imposed till June 30 and no fee hike is made for 2020-21.
With the pandemic impacting the lives of people, many are under financial stress and guardians are unable to pay the huge amount of fees for the new academic session on time. Some are not accustomed to paying online and unable to reach banks due to lack of public transport on account of the lockdown.
