IB school agrees to refund fees

An International Baccalaureate school at Cuffe Parade has agreed to refund the fees of three students, totaling to around Rs 8 lakh, who had decided to join other school after class 11.

An International Baccalaureate school at Cuffe Parade has agreed to refund the fees of three students, totaling to around Rs 8 lakh, who had decided to join other school after class 11.

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BD Somani International School has agreed to refund the fees as “goodwill gesture” after nearly two years of litigation.

The parents were earlier refunded Rs 25,000, which they accepted in protest. After the recent settlement, they will receive the entire amount.

Sujay Kantawala, advocate for BD Somani, had told the Bombay high court that the school authorities have decided to settle the dispute. “The school has agreed to refund the money as a gesture of goodwill, but without accepting any contentions of the parents,” he added.

While disposing of the petitions filed by the parents, a division bench of justice PB Majmudar and justice Mridula Bhatkar said: “We appreciate the gesture on the part of the BD Somani International School, as the institution has settled the dispute with the parents.”

The court also observed that the amount deposited by the school with accrued interest should be handed over to the parents by cheques and directed the prothonotary and senior master to give the cheques to the petitioners after verification.

The parents had moved the high court in 2009 alleging that the school “compelled” them to pay fees for the following year to take the school-leaving certificates. The three students had enrolled for a two-year International Baccalaureate diploma in 2008, after class 10.

AL Gore, advocate for the parents, had argued that the school’s practice of forcibly collecting fees in advance was unethical. Gore argued that the school has not suffered any financial loss as it had admitted three other students and hence the fees should be refunded. The refund of fees by the school is not set as a precedent by the court.