Private schools in Telangana decide to refund, adjust excess fee

Private schools in Telangana which collected the fees violating the government order during the COVID-19 pandemic decided to repay or adjust the excess fees collected for the academic year 2020-21. The decision has been taken during the personal hearing conducted by the Directorate of School Education with 10 private schools.

According to a senior official, the schools which violated the order were asked to provide the accounts of fee collected for the academic year 2020-21 and the managements also expressed their willingness to reimburse the fee or adjust the excess fee collected for the leftover months in 2020-21 during the meeting. "The schools were asked finish it by the end of January and inform the parents," he added.

The state government has issued a government order directing all the private schools affiliated to State Board, CBSE, ICSE and others not to increase the fee for the current academic year and also asked to charge only tuition fee on a monthly basis until further notice. However, many schools violated the government order and collected tuition fee by clubbing all fees including sports and library fee although the classes were not held.

Following this, several parents lodged complaint against the school authorities while some also approached high court. The HC heard the case and constituted a committee to probe the issue which found that 10 schools violated the order.

It is learned that out of the 10 schools, two schools are yet to agree with the decision.