The Delhi High Court Monday directed Ramjas School in west Delhi’s Anand Parbat area to roll back Rs.400 hike in its monthly tuition fees announced this year.
Taking note of the Delhi director of education’s (DOE) submission that the financial position of the school is sound enough to do without such steep hike, Justice Hima Kohli said: “The Ramjas School, Anand Parbat, shall withdraw the arbitrary fee hike (Rs.400 per month per child) as the same is uncalled for in view of the financial strength of the school.”
The court said, however, that the excess amount already realized from the parents should be adjusted in the payment of fees over period of next one year so that there are no immediate financial pressures on the school.
Earlier, the court had directed the Delhi government’s education department to pass the order against the school to roll back the hiked fee in four weeks and inform the court by the next date of hearing.
The court was hearing a petition filed by a group of parents, through counsel Ashok Aggarwal, alleging that the school arbitrarily hiked the tuition fees for the year 2011-2012 academic session, which is violative of the high court’s earlier order as well as the government’s notification.
The court issued the direction after taking note of government counsel’s submission that the committee set up by the education department has found in an inquiry that the school violated the government’s April 2010 notification.
Justice Kohli also directed the school authorities to take Rs.1,900 as tuition fee from each student, which they charge at the beginning of the academic year.
The Delhi government in its report said that the school will be however, be at liberty to re-assess its requirement of fee hike, if any, after pressing into use the financial resources at its disposal.
