Indian Christian schools ordered to return excessive fees

The schools see the move as undue harassment and plan to appeal against the order in court

Updated: January 28, 2025 12:55 PM GMT

Authorities in central Indian Madhya Pradesh state have ordered four schools, two of them Church-managed, to return to students over US$4 million that they allegedly collected in violation of government-set fee limits.

The Education Office of Jabalpur district has asked to return about 380 million rupees (US$4.6 million), which it said the schools collected excessively from students over six academic years from 2018-19 to 2024-25.

Church workers say the order shows the hostile atmosphere existing in the state, where the government tacitly supports Hindu groups targeting Church-runs institutions in their effort to turn India into a Hindu theocratic nation.

“We will challenge this order in state high court,” said Sister Navya Mathew, principal of St. Joseph Convent Girls Senior Secondary School.

The nun told UCA News on Jan. 28 that her school received a notice from the district education officer asking it to pay back 100 million rupees (US$1.2 million).

“We do not know the basis of their calculation. We have not collected any fees other than what is permitted in the law,” said the nun, a St. Joseph of Chambery congregation member.

She said her school “never increased the fees more than 10 percent,” which is the administration’s limit.

Montfort Brother Shaji Joseph, principal of Gabriel Higher Secondary School, said his school was asked on Jan. 25 to refund  170 million rupees (US$2.1 million) to the students.

“In a day or two, we will appeal” against the order in the state High Court, the top court in the state, he told UCA News on Jan. 28.

“If we go by the district official’s calculation, we will not even be able to pay salaries to our teachers who are paid according to the government pay scale,” Joseph said.

Two other schools in the tricky situation are Delhi Public School and Royal Senior Secondary School.

Local Christian leaders say it is not the first time the government has taken similar action against private schools, especially Christian schools. 

In May last year, police arrested 20 people, including principals of Church-run schools from the district, accusing them of charging exorbitant fees to students.

The arrested included a Protestant bishop and a Catholic priest. They were charged with flouting the Madhya Pradesh government’s guidelines on fees for private schools.

They were later released after the Supreme Court granted them bail.

The administration also ordered six Church-run schools to pay nearly US$5 million to students. Following appeals, the state High Court stayed the order, but cases are pending.

Christian leaders complain that Hindu groups in the state, where the pro-Hindu national Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) runs the government, oppose Christian missionary work for education and health care, considering them as facades for converting Hindus.

Christians comprise 0.27 percent of more than 72 million people in the state. More than 80 percent of the population are Hindus, including 21 percent of indigenous tribal people who follow animism and traditional rituals.