Panel orders 5 schools to refund excess fees

Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (KSCPCR) has issued an interim order to five top top schools in the city, asking them to refund excess fees collected from parents.

The schools had been forcing parents to buy books and study material from an online vendor chosen by them.

The order, passed on July 24, directed the schools to refund the amount to the parents. The institutions were also asked to submit a report to the Commission within a month of receiving the order. The matter came to light after a few parents from these schools approached the KSCPCR as books had not been delivered in spite of paying for them in advance.

After looking into the matter, the Commission found that the schools were forcing parents to buy books from a particular online vendor and the prices were much higher than the maximum retail price. The schools were found to be receiving a brokerage from the vendor.