School cannot oust children for non-payment of fees: K'taka HC

New Delhi: Relief for protesting parents against the hike of fee in unaided private school in Bangalore as the Karnataka High Court on Tuesday, while hearing a batch of petitions filed by a Parents Association on the hike of fee, passed an interim order that schools cannot oust the children for not paying the fee.

The court further directed the school authorities to approach the state government to reimburse the fee of the students who have not paid the fee. The court also directed the education departments of the state and the central governments to hold seminars, giving opportunities to the Teachers' Associations, Parents Associations, ICSE and CBSE Boards "to fix a reasonable fee as a policy decision" and that both the governments shall earmark funds for providing free education. The court has fixed April 16 as the next date of hearing.

The court in its order observed the Right to Free and Compulsory Education is not only for the 25 per cent of the selected students under the RTE Act but it is compulsory for all children in the age group of 6 to 14 years under Article 21(A) of the Constitution and the schools cannot oust the children from schools for not paying the fee.