St Joseph’s School put on notice for charging fee during lockdown in Chandigarh

The Section 16 of the Right to Education Act, 2009, provides that no child admitted in a school shall be held back in any class or expelled from school till the completion of elementary education.

A Chandigarh court on Wednesday put St Joseph’s School on notice after a parent filed a civil suit alleging that the school had been forcing him to pay fees without holding any physical classes.

In his petition, a kindergartener’s parent mentioned that the school had been coercing him to make monthly payment of fees from April onwards even though the school was closed. (HT FILE)

Yoginder Nagpal requested the court to stop the school from striking off the name of his child and imposing a late fee fine. The court has asked St Joseph’s, Sector 44, to respond by July 3.

The parent alleged that his child, enrolled in Kindergarten, had been affected badly in the absence of classes, adding that the school had failed to use smart classrooms, sports equipment, other facilities and infrastructure.

In his petition, Nagpal mentioned that the school had been coercing him to make monthly payment of fees from April onwards even though the school was closed.

He further reasoned that the Right to Education was a fundamental right under Article 21, while pointing out that “the Section 16 of the Right to Education Act, 2009, provides that no child admitted in a school shall be held back in any class or expelled from school till the completion of elementary education”.

The court observed that before passing any order, it was appropriate to hear the other party. Hence, the school was summoned for July 3.