NE LEGAL BUREAU
CHENNAI, JULY 10
A day after the state government informed the Madras High Court that it has decided to permit private educational institutions to collect fees for lockdown period in three instalments, a group of parents on Friday moved the court opposing the decision.
“Non-government educational institutions are mandated to maintain 15 per cent of the fee collected as reserve funds as per the bylaws of the CBSE. Such reserve fund is meant to be used during exigencies like the Covid-19 lockdown,” advocate M Purushothaman said, representing the parents.
Moreover, the salary component of these institutions would not exceed one fourth of the fees collected.
Therefore, even if they are permitted to collect fees, only the salary component should be allowed to be collected, he added.
He submitted that the government had arrived at the decision without consulting parents.
Purushothaman made the submissions while making an urgent mention before Justice N Anand Venkatesh who was scheduled to hear a batch of pleas moved by institutions seeking to permit them to collect fees.
The judge said the advocate general had submitted yesterday that the government will be passing an order soon following which the pleas were adjourned to July 17.
“Parents can also make their representation to the AG which would be considered on July 17,” the judge said.
According to an affidavit filed by the government on July 10, educational institutions would be permitted to collect fees in three equal instalments in August, December and April 2021.
