Chennai, Aug 7 (PTI) The Madras High Court has directed the management of private schools to issue transfer certificates (TCs) to the students who opt for the same without insisting on payment of the fees due, within a week on receipt of applications.

Any student or parent, who wants to continue the education in a different school should submit an application in that regard to the transferor school concerned. Immediately after the application is submitted, the transferor school shall issue the TC within a week.

“If there are any disputes between the student/parent and the school concerned, which also includes dispute with regard to payment of fees, the same should be independently worked out in the manner known to law and that can never be a reason to deny issuance of Transfer Certificate to the student,”

Justice N Anand Venkatesh said on Friday. The judge was disposing of a writ petition from the United District Self Financing Schools Association, seeking to restrain the educational authorities from permitting the schools in admitting the students in any class without applying or getting TC from the members of the petitioner association where the students previously studied.

The judge said if any school refused to issue TC, a complaint can be made to the Chief Educational Officer (CEO) concerned and immediate action shall be taken by him for violation of this order. It shall be ensured the TC is issued to the student.

If any violation is brought to the notice of this court, it would initiate contempt proceedings on its own against the school concerned, the judge warned and directed the Commissioner of School Education to issue a circular in this regard to all the schools within two weeks.

The directions are issued taking into consideration the pandemic situation and as and when normalcy is restored, the relevant enactments and regulations will take care of the transfer of students from one school to another, the judge said.