School Fees: Can’t Ignore Acute Financial Pressure On Parents Due To COVID, Delhi To High Court

Source: NDTV Education

The Delhi Government Wednesday told the Delhi High Court that it was “improper and harsh” on the part of schools to run on profitable lines to recover fees when lot of children have lost their one or both parents during COVID-19 and became victim of job loss due to lockdown.The Delhi Government said these organizations are expected to extend maximum support in education so that the maximum students should have access to education by having suitable financial atmosphere through schools.
A bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh, after hearing arguments for hours, said it would continue hearing the submissions on Thursday. The court was hearing various pleas by Delhi Government, students and an NGO challenging a single judge order allowing private unassisted schools to collect annual and development charges from students for the period after the lockdown ended in the national capital last year.“Being regulator of the school education, complainant (Delhi government) cannot ignore the severe financial pressure and stress on general public where lot of children have lost their one or both parents or source of earning has exhausted or the jobs and businesses have vanished due to lockdown in current COVID-19 pandemic which is continuing since March 2020,” Delhi government, signified through senior advocate Vikas Singh, said.

Mr. Singh said therefore, such an attempt of schools to run on commercial lines instead of being charitable in nature to recover amount on the belief that normal physical functioning has resumed is “improper, harsh and unjustified”. 

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