Parents get legal notice from school in Panvel to pay fees

Parents of St Joseph’s High School at Panvel have been issued legal notices by the institution for payment of fees. The parents had earlier protested over the fee hike issue in February blaming that the school was increasing the fees every year under various heads.

The notice states that this school situated at Sector 7 at New Panvel functions completely on the fees collected from the students as it is non-granted private school. It also mentioned that parents have not paid fees since February 2017 till date despite several reminders. Sunil Monde, the advocate who filed this notice, said, “This notice is to collect and recover the pending fees from the parents.”

The parents claimed that the school is compelling them to pay the fees and has allotted very less time. In February, the parents had also approached Vinod Tawde, the minister for school education, higher and technical education, and raised this issue. Tawde had then assured the parents that a committee would be formed who would inspect the matter and prepare a report and till then the school had no right to force the parents to pay any fees.

The parents are still in conversation with the committee to analyse the fee issue. Manisha Patil, a parent told the Free Press Journal, “The discussion for deciding the fee issue is still on but with this notice the school is forcing us to pay the fees. The school has been raising fees illegally and has never given us an explanation.”

The notice also states the school will take stern legal action the parents in the appropriate court of law if the parents fail to pay the fees. Sachin Pawar, a parent, said, “We have been protesting over the fee hike and were a bit relieved as this committee was appointed. Now suddenly we have received this notice and we do not know what to do.”

The notice says parents have not paid fees since February 2017 till date despite several reminders