Chennai:
Stating that there was some confusion over a recent Madras High Court order on collection of school fees for the academic year 2012-13, the Tamil Nadu government has moved the court seeking a clarification that its order permitting a 15 per cent hike in fees applied only to those schools which had moved the Court.
In a petition, deputy secretary of state school education department S Vedarathinam wanted the court to clarify whether the increased fee would be applicable only to petitioners, numbering about 300, who had moved the court and subject to final orders passed by the state government appointed School Fee Determination Committee (SFDC).
The government claimed that parents and students were confused as a result of the 'distorted way,' a section of the media had reported the judgement. Hence it was necessary to get clarifications on certain points.
On May 3, the High Court had set aside orders of the SFDC and permitted both minority and non-minority schools in the state to collect 15 per cent over and above the fees fixed by the committee for the academic year 2012-13.
The court had remitted the matter back to the Justice K Raviraja Pandian committee for fresh consideration and made it clear that the interim arrangement would be applicable only to petitioners, numbering about 300 who had moved the court and not to all schools.
The court had also said the enhanced fee would be subject to the final orders to be passed by the SFDC.
The government also said it should be made mandatory for the schools covered by the High Court order to display on their notice boards the case number, fee earlier fixed by the committee and the revised fee as per the court order.
The government also wanted the schools to indicate that the enhanced fee would be subject to the outcome of the SFDC's final decision and that schools not covered under the court order should collect only the fees as determined by the committee.