A minor slip-up costs the school dearly; slapped with a ₹2.22 lakh liability for failing to refund fees

A father changed his son's school to enroll him in a cricket academy. When the school refused to refund the fees, the commission ordered it to pay a total of ₹2.22 lakh, comprising ₹1.92 lakh in fees, ₹25,000 in compensation, and ₹5,000 for litigation expenses.

A consumer commission in Hyderabad has delivered a significant verdict in a case regarding the refund of school fees. Relief has been granted to a father who sought a refund from his son's previous school after deciding to enroll him in another institution. The commission directed the school's chairman to pay ₹2.22 lakh, covering the fee refund, compensation, and legal costs.

The case stems from a complaint filed by a 54-year-old father. He had deposited ₹1.92 lakh as the first installment on April 4, 2018, to enroll his son in the fifth grade. Alongside his regular schooling, the son was undergoing training at a cricket academy. The father felt that the distance to the original school would make it difficult to balance academics with cricket coaching. Consequently, he decided to enroll his son in a different school located closer to the academy.

Before the new academic session began, the father contacted the original school and requested a refund of the deposited amount. However, the school administration refused to return the money, citing its fee policy. Following this, the father approached the consumer commission.

School Cites Rules

During the hearing, the school argued that the father had accepted the institution's terms and conditions at the time of admission. According to the school, he had also provided written consent acknowledging the condition that deposited fees were non-refundable. The school denied allegations of deficiency in service or unfair trade practices and sought the dismissal of the complaint.

Why did the Commission rule in favor of the father?

During the hearing, the Commission noted that the fees had been deposited well before the start of the academic session. Furthermore, the father had requested the cancellation of admission and a refund of the amount prior to the commencement of the session.

According to the Commission, refusing to refund the fees merely by citing the institution's rules was not justified in such a situation. Based on this, the decision was made to grant relief to the complainant.

Payment to be made within 45 days

The Commission directed the school chairman to refund the fees amounting to ₹1.92 lakh. Additionally, the school was ordered to pay ₹25,000 as compensation for the inconvenience caused to the father and ₹5,000 towards legal expenses. The total payable amount comes to ₹2.22 lakh. The Commission directed that this amount be paid within 45 days.

This ruling is significant for parents seeking a fee refund upon cancelling their child's admission before the start of the academic session. However, the relief granted in each case will depend on the specific facts and applicable rules.