Bhubaneswar: In the light of the recent judgment by the Supreme Court of India on the reduction of schools fees in the wake of the pandemic during academic session 2020-21, the Odisha government has made a slew of directives for all private aided and un-aided schools.
The government has asked the schools that have signed an MoU to follow the Orissa High Court order and implement the waiver as per the agreed terms mentioned in its notification dated 19.01.2021.
The remaining schools throughout the state shall collect fees for the Academic year 2019-2020 with a 15% reduction for the academic year 2020-21.
For those parents who have already paid the full school fees, the fees paid by them will be adjusted in the subsequent instalments by the school management authorities.
The School and Mass Education department has directed all stakeholders including various Parents Associations and School Management Authorities to strictly follow the following guidelines of the Supreme Court issued on May 3, 2021.
• The school Management of the concerned private unaided school shall collect annual school fees from their students for the academic year 2019-20, but by providing deduction of 15 per cent on that amount in lieu of unutilised facilities by the students during the relevant period of the academic year 2020-21.
• The amount so payable by the concerned students be paid in six equal monthly instalments before 05.08.2021 as noted in our order dated 08.02.2021.
• Regardless of the above, it will be open to the concerned schools to give further concession to their students or to evolve a different pattern for giving concession over and above those noted in clauses (i) and (ii) above.
• The school Management shall not debar any student from attending either online classes or physical classes on account of nonpayment of fees, arrears/outstanding fees including the instalments, referred to above, and shall not withhold the results of the examinations of any student on that account.
• If any individual request is made by the parent/ward finding it difficult to remit annual fees for the academic year 2020-21 in the above terms, the school Management to consider such representation on case to case basis sympathetically.
• The above arrangement will not affect the collection of fees for the academic year 2021-22, as is payable by the students of the concerned school as and when it becomes due and payable.
• The school Management shall not withhold the name of any student/candidate for the ensuing Board examinations for Classes X and XII on the ground of non-payment of fee/arrears for the academic year 2020-21, if any, on obtaining undertaking of the concerned parents/students.
