COVID-19: Plea moved before Delhi High Court to prohibit schools from charging fees from students

A Petition has been moved before the Delhi High Court seeking a direction to all schools in the city to not charge school fees from children from April 2020 onwards till schools become operational..In order to strike a balance in the larger public interest, the public interest litigation by Advocate Amit Sahni also seeks a direction to the Delhi Government to provide sufficient funds to schools to enable them to bear their liabilities viz salary to staff etc..It is the Petitioner's grievance that due to COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdown to contain it, several parents are not in the posiiton to pay school fees due to loss of gainful employment....although the Government has directed everyone not to deduct salary of its employees but private sector particularly those working in unorganized sector are facing difficulties to pay school fees as many of them are not getting complete salaries and many are getting salaries after deduction. For instance, even some media houses have deducted salary of its staff in order to face the financial crisis.the Petition reads. .It is informed that unlike other State Governments, the Delhi Government has not issued any circular/order or direction prohibiting private/unaided schools from pressurizing their students to deposit fees immediately..Reliance is also placed on media reports to add that schools in Delhi-NCR had hiked fees, adding to lockdown woes of parents..The Petitioner has also contended that online classes could not be equated with the actual physical classes as no other infrastructure is used as the schools are shut since March 2020. .In view of the above, the Petitioner has sought for a direction to all schools in the city to not charge school fess or to not pressurise students or their parents to pay the fees/charges till the school become operational..The request to list the Petition for urgent hearing has not been allowed yet.