A joint panel comprising representatives of private schools, parents’ associations and the Odisha govt, formed on the advice of the High Court to resolve the fee hike issue, recommended a maximum waiver of 26 per cent if the annual fee is above Rs 1 lakh.
A report in this regard was submitted by the joint committee to a division bench comprising Chief Justice Mohammad Rafiq and Justice B R Sarangi.
The bench completed hearing on petitions seeking waiver of school fees and reserved its verdict. The joint committee recommended different rates of fee cut in either tuition fees or composite fees under seven slabs.
Also read: Odisha HC asks state govt to resolve private schools fees hike issue
There will be no waiver if the annual fee of a private school is less than Rs 6,000. It suggested a maximum waiver of 26 per cent where the annual school fee is above Rs 1 lakh, the highest slab.
The joint committee also recommended a waiver of 30 per cent in hostel fees. However, any institute which has not increased fees consecutively for the last two years will not be covered in this scheme.
The division bench on September 1 asked the principal secretary of the School and Mass Education Department to convene a meeting of the representatives of private schools and parents’ association to resolve the school fee row, while adjudicating over a batch of writ petitions.
