CBSE schools also under fee panel ambit: Government to HC

Schools affiliated to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) will also come under the purview of the proceedings dated May 27, 2011 of the Private School Fee Determination Committee constituted by the TN government, the Madras High Court was informed.

In its common counter-affidavit filed through Additional Government Pleader P Sanjay Gandhi, in response to a batch of writ petitions from the CBSE schools challenging the 2011 proceedings, the School Education Special Officer submitted that mere affiliation of the school to the CBSE syllabus would not exclude such schools from the application of the provisions of the TN Schools (Regulation of Collection of Fee) Act, 2009. The CBSE was a registered society, but not established by any law. It was an examination body conducting the exams.

All affiliated schools to the CBSE were required to follow the rules and instructions of the State government. The myth or illusion hitherto fostered by the CBSE schools that they were independent bodies and the State Act would not apply to them, had been nullified and rejected, rather cleared by a circular dated February 21 last year of the CBSE directing the schools to abide by the Regulation of the State Act.

Therefore, the contention of non-applicability of the State Act was to be rejected, AGP Sanjay Gandhi submitted.

All the schools imparting education in Tamil Nadu were subject to the provisions of the Act. Hence, the allegation of violation of Articles 16(4), 19(1)(g) and 26 was incorrect and untrue, Gandhi added.