Bombay high court
MUMBAI: Bombay high court directed a Malad (E) school to sympathetically consider the individual representation of 203 students who it denied access to online classes for nonpayment of fees.
A bench of Justices Nitin Jamdar and Chandrakant Bhadang on April 29 heard a petition by students, mostly aged 6-13, that Seth Juggilal Poddar Academy, an ICSE school, was demanding fees which were not reasonable, and as their parents have not been able to pay, access to online classes was discontinued. The academic year began on April 7.
Their petition said for 2020-21 in general their parents have paid 50% fees. “The delay is generally due to loss of job or loss of business, or exhausting of all savings during the lockdown period,” it stated, adding that the management was “extremely uncooperative” and unwilling to listen to parents and their challenges during Covid-19. The petition said at an open house on April 3, only those who paid 100% fees were given results. They sought a direction for release of results, promotion to following academic year and access to online classes.