The School Education Department on Monday told the Madras High Court that so far it had not received any complaint regarding private schools/colleges compelling students or parents to pay fees for 2020-21 or the arrears for 2019-20 in violation of a Government Order issued on April 20 considering the lockdown to fight COVID-19.
Justices Vineet Kothari and R. Suresh Kumar were informed by Special Government Pleader C. Munusamy that the officials had been holding personal inspection at the educational institutions besides creating a mechanism to take action on specific complaints. “So far we have not received any complaint,” he told the Division Bench.
When the judges wanted to know the status of a representation reportedly made by the present public interest litigant Gopalakrishnan on May 28, the SGP said, the papers of the case had not been served on him and therefore sought time to get instructions. Accepting his request, the judges adjourned the hearing on the case to Wednesday.
Earlier, the petitioner’s counsel Balaji Thirumoothy told the court that the April 20 G.O. had been issued by the Chief Secretary under the Disaster Management Act of 2005. However, thereafter, the government had not set up any mechanism to ensure that its order was followed in letter and spirit, he alleged and accused some educational institutions of demanding fee.
