Air Conditioning Fee In Schools Should Be Borne By Parents, Says Delhi HC

The Delhi High Court, while dismissing a Public Interest Litigation, declared that parents are responsible for paying for facilities like AC classrooms provided in schools.

7 May 2024

By Khushi Maheshwari

The Delhi High Court has ruled that parents are responsible for paying the cost of air conditioning in schools since it is a service that is offered to kids and is comparable to other fees like lab fees.

A bench led by Acting Chief Justice Manmohan ousted a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) against a private school that was charging Rs 2,000 a month for air-conditioning in the classrooms. The bench concluded that parents should consider the facilities and their cost when choosing a school, as the school administration cannot bear the entire financial burden.

The petitioner, whose ward attended the private school’s class 9, contended that since the management is responsible for providing the pupils with air conditioning, they should do so using their own money and resources.

The court stated that there appears to be no discrepancy in the charge imposed by the school, noting that the fee receipt properly documents the entry of payments for air conditioning, which is admittedly delivered to the pupils.

Further, it was stated in the court that the cost of air conditioning should be handled by the parents since it is just like any other amenity provided by the school. The court compared air conditioning charges to charges paid for amenities like laboratory fees and also advised parents to be conscious of their decisions while picking a school. All the services and fees of those services should be kept in mind by the parents. 

In a judgement passed on by the court on 2nd May with a bench which also had Justice Manmeet PS Arora, it was said that the load of providing amenities like AC classrooms cannot be tied to school management alone. 

According to the court, the Directorate of Education was also made aware of the matter following complaints, and the petition was deemed unmaintainable.

In the end, the court concluded that it does not feel implicated to entertain the PIL and hence would have to dismiss the same.