Cuttack: The High Court on Monday said all
the private schools in the state, including the English medium
institutions, should abide by the provisions of Free and
Compulsory Education Act of 2009 and coming under Orissa
Education (OE) Act.
Delivering a verdict pertaining to DAV school fee hike
case, a single-judge bench of Justice MM Das said all the
private schools in the state, including those being English
medium are under the purview of Orissa Education Act, thereby
refusing to accept the contention of DAV school management
that they do not come under the OE Act.
The high court also directed the state to form a
high-level committee under the head of Director, School
and Mass Education, within four months to look into the fee
structure of all the private schools in the state.
"The private schools wishing to make any changes in
their fee structure shall apply to the committee, which in
turn shall dispose off the applications within 90 days," the
HC said
In last April the court had reserved the verdict after
completion of hearing.
The judge thus struck down the earlier notification of
the DAV management asserting that the schools should continue
with their fee structure of 2008-09 academic year.
The state government in April 2009 had allowed the
English medium schools to increase their school fees by 25
per cent and their development fees by 15 per cent.
The decision of the state and subsequent fee hike
notification of DAV school management was then challenged in
Orissa High Court by Parents Association of a Cuttack-based
DAV school terming these (fee hike) "uncalled for, unilateral
and arbitrary."
PTI
First Published: Monday, June 27, 2011, 22:36