A day after the Punjab and Haryana High Court allowed all private schools to collect tuition fee and admission fee for the period of lockdown or curfew irrespective of conducting online classes, the Punjab Government on Wednesday announced to challenge the decision.
The decision to file the appeal was taken at a meeting in which Singla, Chief Secretary Vini Mahajan, Advocate-General Atul Nanda and School Education Secretary Krishan Kumar were present. Announcing this, the state Education Minister Vijay Inder Singla said that Punjab Government would appeal to the Double Bench of the High Court against the Single Bench’s decision regarding collection of fees by private schools for the period of lockdown or curfew.
“Punjab Government respects the High Court’s decision, but in view of the adverse impact on the occupation and livelihood of the people and economic distress due to lockdown or curfew, the State Government will appeal to the double bench of the Court to reconsider its decision,” said Singla.
The Minister said that the High Court, in its judgment, has accepted five arguments of the Punjab Government and which arguments were not accepted by the Court, would be further submitted for reconsideration of the Court.
“In the interest of all parties involved in the case such as parents, teachers, staff, school administrators and others, the Punjab Government would take up the matter before the Court by filling the Letter Patents Appeal (LPA), and it will be filed before the Double Bench within next two or three days,” he said.
Elaborating the High Court’s decision, Singla said that the State Government has strongly defended the case whereby the Advocate-General himself appeared.
“The court disposed of the matter on June 30 upholding certain decisions of the State Government,” he added.Singla said that the Punjab Government’s decision for private schools such as ensuring 100 percent salary to the teaching and non-teaching staff during the lockdown, not to lay off any teacher or staff, not to increase the fees for academic session 2020-21, making arrangements for monthly or quarterly payments of fees, waiving fees or considering concession to the children of financially distressed parents, not depriving children from online or regular education for non-payment of fees, have been upheld by the Court.
He categorically said that State Government’s decision that schools shall not charge any fee for the period of lockdown or curfew, excluding the period of summer break. “However, those schools, who have provided or are providing online education during the period of lockdown, may charge tuition fee only.