Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Nov 13: The Committee for Fixation and Regulation of Fee of Private Schools, J&K today restrained the managements of the private schools from collecting admission fee from the guardians of the children at the time of admission in their respective schools.
The order issued by the Chairman of the Committee said that the Section 13 of the Right to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 mandates that no school or person shall, while admitting a child, collect any capitation fee and subject the child or his or her parents or guardian to any screening procedure.
This section, the order stated, thus prohibits collection of capitation fee while admitting a child into a school. “The J&K School Education Act 2002 has been amended and after Section 20, Sections 20(A)-(J) have also been inserted in the Act, 2002.”
Proviso appended to Section 20E (1), the order stated, provides that private schools shall not charge in any manner any other fee including admission fee of any amount by whatever name called other than the fee mentioned in 20E (1).
The order stated that it has been reported by the office that numerous complaints have been made that most of the schools are collection admission fee/capitation fee from the guardian at the time of admission of the children in their respective schools
Since both the Right of Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009, and School Education Act, 2002 specifically prohibit collecting of admission fee/ capitation fee, the order stated, and breach thereof being penal in nature; this is bound to invite penal consequences.
“All the Management/Owners of the private schools are restrained from collecting admission fee from the guardian of the children at the time of admission in their respective schools,” the committee ordered.
It said that if any private school has collected admission fee same shall be paid back to the concerned guardian.
“The guardians who have paid admission fee are at liberty to provide information of the same to the Administrative Officer Fee Fixation Committee in person or through email: chairmanfcc@gmail.com,” it said.
The decision, the order stated, about all other issues including fixation and regulation of all types of the fee will be taken after considering viewpoints of all concerned parties.
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