JABALPUR (UCAN): “We have been struggling to pay the salary to our teachers as many parents refused to pay the fees of their children this year,” said Father Thankachan Jose, of the Diocese of Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh state, India, who is dealing with the court cases related to the payment of school fees.
A crisis was averted when, on February 13, the state’s High Court ordered parents to clear all fees in arrears to the respective schools within one month. The court said that if the parents failed to pay fees, schools are allowed to withhold the annual results of the students.
Father Jose said the schools had been struggling to pay salaries to staff as most parents refused to pay fees. “The court order is a major relief for us,” he added.
“We are relieved now after parents began to pay the tuition fees after court, through its interim order, took a clear stand,” he said on February 20, as the dissenting parents began to pay fees.
In the previous six academic years, parents had stopped paying school fees to their children in 11 schools, mostly Christian-run, accusing them of collecting excess fees.
We have been struggling to pay the salary to our teachers as many parents refused to pay the fees of their children this year
Father Thankachan Jose
The parents had also filed 20 petitions seeking the intervention of the High Court to get the alleged excess money collected refunded to them.
Christian leaders say the allegation of excess school fees stems from an anti-Christian atmosphere in the state, where the pro-Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party runs the government.
The crisis began after the Jabalpur district administration ordered the 11 private schools to refund part of the fees, which it claimed were collected above the government-allowed limits.
“The allegation is absolutely wrong. We are allowed to make an annual increase of 10 per cent of the fees and never violated any government norm,” Father Jose said.
Following the allegation, police also raided the 11 schools in May 2024 and arrested 20 persons, including a Protestant bishop and a Catholic priest.
The arrested were granted bail following the intervention of India’s Supreme Court. The state High Court refused to bail them out.
In July 2024, the district administration also ordered six Church-run schools to pay nearly US$5 million to students. Similar orders were sent to other schools later.
The diocese-run schools challenged the refund order in the High Court and secured a temporary suspension on their implementation. Other schools also secured similar suspension of the order.
Christian leaders accused the state government of tacitly supporting Hindu groups’ move against Christians and their institutions.
In the last five years alone, police have raided several Christian schools, Hindu groups have attacked Christian gatherings, and police have filed criminal cases of religious conversion against Christians, including priests, nuns, and bishops.
