Orissa High Court. Telegraph picture

Cuttack, June 27: Orissa High Court today made it mandatory for all private English medium schools in the state to seek prior approval of the state government before giving effect to any fee hike.

The high court directed the state government to form a committee to look into the fee structure of the private English medium schools, while ruling that the “Orissa Education Act and Rules, 1991, applies to these schools with regard to school fees”.

The single-judge bench of Justice M.M. Das issued the direction while striking down the fee hike notified by DAV schools in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack for 2009-10.

“I am happy that justice has prevailed and the irrational fee hike has not been allowed,” said Sanjukta Panigrahi, mother of a Standard IV student of Chandrasekharpur DAV School in Bhubaneswar, who had challenged the fee hike.

Schooling fee hike had been a contentious issue in the state since private English medium school managements had gone for enhancing admission fees and tuition fees from the 2009-10 academic session on plea of implementation of the sixth pay recommendations for both teaching and non-teaching staff.

The move had triggered stiff resistance from parents in different parts of the state, especially in Cuttack and Bhubaneswar, when some of the schools introduced hikes ranging between 50 per cent and 100 per cent, forcing the state government to intervene.

On March 27, 2009, the state government, however, issued an order allowing 25 per cent hike in tuition fees and 15 per cent hike in development fees by managing boards of those private English medium schools, which had intended to implement the sixth pay commission recommendations.

The high court issued a stay order on it after parents of the DAV schools at Chandrasekharpur in Bhubaneswar and Rajabagicha in Cuttack had challenged its validity and 60 per cent fee hike for 2009-10 against the existing Rs 440 per month for 2008-09.

The court had also imposed interim restrictions on fee hike by DAV schools in Cuttack and Bhubaneswar on April 9, 2009 and reserved judgment on December 13, 2010.

While disposing of the petitions, Justice Das directed for continuance of fee structure in the DAV schools as notified for 2008-09.

“Hike in tuition fees is not its only concern, but it apparently paves the way for a check on any monopoly in fixation of fees by the private English medium schools,” a petitioner counsel Artatrana Mishra told The Telegraph.

“While giving a formulation of points, the court directed the state government to form a committee within four months to look into the fee structure of such schools taking into consideration the available infrastructure and facilities, salary of teachers and future development plans,” Mishra said.

The court directed the management of these schools to submit before the committee applications for fee hike along with detailed notes justifying it before going in for fee hikes. The applications are to be disposed of within three months by the committees.

The court further directed for reconstitution of local managing committees of the schools by including parent representatives and government representatives.