Calcutta HC against holding back of admit cards – Times of India

KOLKATA: Schools cannot withhold admit cards of candidates writing Board exams even if they are yet to clear their school fee arrears. Also, schools cannot debar kids from entering online classes.
Both these directions came from the Calcutta high court on Friday where a division bench of justices IP Mukerji and Moushumi Bhattacharya heard the issue of non-payment of school fees. More than 145 odd city schools across boards and parents are contesting the pending-fee issue in the court.
CBSE X and XII term I exams and ISC and ICSE semester I exams are on now.
Friday’s order stated that the court had been informed that on the pretext of alleged school fee payment default, admit cards of Board students had been withheld and students were not being allowed to attend online classes. The court said that pending resolution, “students should not suffer and online classes should be continued to be provided to them; no student should be expelled on the ground of non-payment of fees and admit cards and results should not be withheld.”
The court said it was “disturbed to read” from the affidavit of a school that FIRs had been generated against the school and the West Bengal Commission for Protection of Child Rights had on December 2 recommended action against it, citing expulsion of students because of non-payment of school fees. The court observed that when complaints of this nature reach any authority, action can only be taken with the court’s permission because the matter was still being heard by it.
Some parents have moved the Supreme Court against the October 1 HC order.
“On October 13, 2020, the HC had slashed tuition fees by 20%. But it had also stated that once physical classes started, schools would have the right to revise fees. Hence, the court has allowed schools to take a re-look at the fees of classes IX-XII,” said Sourav Bhagat, a lawyer who represents several schools.