Schools cannot withhold TC for non-payment of fee

The Kerala High Court has held that the right of a student to get a transfer certificate from a school to join another school, for whatever reason, cannot be denied by the school authorities merely because fee is due from the student.

Justice Basant Balaji made the observation recently while directing the Sadguru Public School, Peroor, Kanhangad, to issue transfer certificate to a student without insisting on payment of fees allegedly due from her.

The court observed that if any amount was due towards fees, the proper course open for the Principal was to initiate appropriate proceedings against the petitioner for recovery of the fees. Coercive tactics cannot be insisted upon by the Principal to make the petitioner pay school fees. The child cannot be made a scapegoat and denied the right to education by withholding the transfer certificate. The Principal had no business to retain the transfer certificate, the court added.