Private Schools challenge Constitution of Fee Regulatory Authority in HC

The Private Schools’ Association has moved the High Court of Punjab & Haryana challenging Chandigarh administration’s order asking schools to upload balance sheets on their websites. Besides this, the schools have also challenged the constitution of the Fee Regulatory Authority constituted under the Punjab Regulation of Fee of Unaided Educational Institutions Act extended to Chandigarh administration. The law was adopted by Chandigarh in 2018.

The plea has been filed by the Independent Schools’ Association, a body of 78 private schools in the city. The move comes after on May 22, around 51 schools were issued show-cause notices as to why penalties should not be imposed on them for not uploading balance sheets for the last financial year, which the UT said was a violation of the law. The plea was listed on Thursday but the hearing was adjourned for Monday.

The schools argued that asking schools for uploading the balance sheets violate the rights of schools. Further, it has been argued that fee regulatory body, constituted under the law, doesn't provide representation to the private schools. The schools have also a stay order on notices put out by the administration-wide which schools were asked to upload information about their income & expenditure.

Meanwhile, the schools have submitted their replies to the education department on show-cause notices sent to them on May 22. They have stated that the balance sheets are already available with the education department & financial information is also given to the CBSE, ICSE, & questioned the move as to why they should put it on their website. An official said the response of most schools is on similar lines. They have also reasoned that the association had sought meetings with UT officials in different representations on the balance sheet controversy, but the department did not respond.

The show-cause notices were sent as parents hit streets protesting against the fee being charged by schools even as many of the parents are adversely affected by Coronavirus outbreak. The schools not uploading balance sheets despite reminders from the education department was another factor which led to these notices.

A committee constituted by the department is in the process of examining replies & preparing a report to be taken up by the fee regulatory authority in its meeting on June 15. Another committee under the accounts branch has also been constituted that will look into the balance-sheets uploaded by various schools.

Source Link