Schools can’t deny promotion over lack of fee payment: Calcutta HC

The Calcutta High Court said on Tuesday that none of the 145 schools in West Bengal covered in a PIL over fees during the Covid pandemic will deny any student promotion to the next session or withhold report cards until further orders, taking up parents' allegation that a few schools were not adhering to its earlier interim order.

The court also restated its earlier directive that in the upcoming sessions, all pupils will be able to enrol in a higher class and will be provided with normal educational facilities.

Holding that G D Birla Centre for Education ought not to have issued a notice stating "the school will reopen on Monday, 11.4.2022 for students who have cleared all dues," a division bench comprising justices I P Mukerji and Moushumi Bhattacharya said the effect of this notification is that those students who have disputed the dues of the school would not be allowed to join classes.

Directing G D Birla Centre for Education to immediately withdraw the notice and allow the students to attend classes in the usual course, the bench said all other schools will also follow the directions in this order.

The advocate for the school submitted that taking shelter behind the court's interim orders, some guardians were forwarding insignificant amounts as fees, much lower than what they paid in the last academic session, insisting that their wards be allowed to attend school.

The court also noted allegations by a body of parents that numerous students have been debarred from joining classes on the ground that their fees remain unpaid.

It had earlier directed that to ensure schools do not suffer any deficiency in funds, joint special officers appointed by it would go into the dispute regarding fee liability and come to a decision in the matter.

The court asked the joint special officers to file a report before it on this issue by June 6. – PTI