Karnataka govt proposes committee to look into school fee issue

The IA was moved in the petitions filed challenging the decision of the government to cut tuition fee by 30%

The state government has moved an Interlocutory Application (IA) before the High Court of Karnataka proposing to set up a committee headed by retired high court judge to look into the school fees issue.

The IA was moved in the petitions filed challenging the decision of the state government to cut the tuition fee by 30%.

Justice Sachin Shankar Magadum granted time to the petitioners, associations representing private school managements, to file their objections to the IA filed by the state government. The matter has been posted to June 29 for further consideration.

According to the state government, the proposed committee would recommend measures to resolve the issue after recording the views of all stakeholders, including the parents and the management. The IA has cited the example of the TMA Pai case of 2007 in which the Supreme Court had ordered for the constitution of state-level committees headed by high court judges to look into the fee fixed by professional colleges.

The state government said that several representations have been received from the parents associations requesting to extend the fee cut for the current academic year (2021-22) in view of the Covid-19 situation.

Meanwhile, the Associated Managements of Primary and Secondary Schools in Karnataka (KAMS) has objected to the IA. The association said that many of the parents have not paid even the 70% of the fee fixed last year. It also contended that the state government has no right to reduce the tuition fees even citing Covid-19 situation.