Maharashtra expert committee to review school fee issues

The state education department has informed that the government is making every effort to ensure the exemption of school fees, a matter which is still pending in the Bombay High Court.

In a statement, the authorities informed that a committee of expert officers is being constituted at the government level to look into the legal issues and will submit a report regarding the same.

Moreover, in order to prevent and control the spread of the coronavirus, the Department of Public Health is implementing the Infectious Diseases Act 1897 and the Disaster Management Act 2005 in the state as per the notification dated March 13, 2020. According to the circular dated March 30, 2020, the Department of School Education should not oblige all management schools to charge fees from students and parents for the current year and next year.

Subsequently, on May 8, 2020, under the powers vested under Section (21) of the Maharashtra Educational Institution Fees (Regulation) Act 2011 as well as under the powers vested under Section (26) (i) and (l) of the Disaster Management Act, all board, medium and pre-primary students from class 12^th, for the convenience of parents, the option to deposit monthly/quarterly/non-one time fees for the academic year 2019-20 and 2020-21 have been made available and no fees have been increased for the academic year 2020-2021.

If certain educational facilities are not used for the academic year 2020-21 and the cost is reduced, the fees should be reduced accordingly by passing a resolution in the parents' executive committee. Moreover, parents should be given the option to pay the fee online to avoid inconvenience during this period.

However, the Association of Indian Schools, Sant Gyaneshwar Sanstha, Global Education Foundation, Kasegaon Education Society, Unaided School Forum, Human Social Care Foundation and Maharashtra Samaj Ghatkopar has filed a petition in the High Court on May 8, 2020, against this decision of the government. Further hearing the case on June 26, 2020, the court stayed the government's May 8 order. However, the school education department has iterated that it is trying to put the public's side before the court.