The Tamil Nadu Private Schools Fee Determination Committee, which monitors the fees collected by the self-financing schools across the State, is also authorised to recommend to the government to penalise the schools, which collect more fees in violation of directives. 

However, due to lockdown since March 2020, many private schools could not collect the fees from the parents who complain of financial losses due to the COVID-induced pandemic situation. 

Accordingly, with private schools moving the court, the Madras High Court allowed self-financing institutions in the State to collect 35 per cent of the annual fee for the academic year 2020-21 and rest through instalments. 

A senior official from the School Education Department said there were complaints of certain private schools harassing the parents to pay more than the amount prescribed by the court even for the year 2021-2022. 

“Therefore, the authorities have decided to form a new committee comprising academicians, representatives of the parent-teacher associations (PTAs), school management and education officials to look into the issue immediately,” he said adding “they would look into the complaints and instruct the schools to follow the rules”. 

Claiming there were also complaints that some managements were threatening the parents that their children will be removed from online classes, he said: “As per the Rights to Education Act, no child should be denied education under any circumstances. Therefore, private schools should talk to the parents to pay a minimal amount of fees instead of taking the students out of the online classes”. 

However, NKR Nandhakumar, general secretary of Tamil Nadu Private Nursery, Primary, Matriculation, Higher Secondary, and CBSE Schools Association, claimed still several private schools could not collect last year’s fees from the parents. 

“How come the private schools could pay the salaries to the teachers without collecting fees,” he asked adding “the government should look into the issue immediately and save cash-strapped schools”.