Irfan Tramboo
Srinagar, July 30: The Government-appointed Committee for Fixation & Regulation of Fee of Private Schools (FFRC) has asked the Government to take over the management of a private school for ‘brazen’ violation of the norms set out by the panel.
The FFRC has asked the Principal Secretary to the Government to appoint an Administrator to the school who is tasked to run the matters as per rules and regulations set by the FFRC.
The Administrator so appointed, besides being regulated by the orders of the Principal Secretary, the panel stated, in the performance of his duties shall ensure that only tuition fee is collected for the time being from the students and salaries are regularly paid to the teaching and non-teaching staff.
The panel in its detailed order said that there were repeated complaints against the Tiny Harts School located in Tengpora, Byepass Srinagar from the parents and despite repeated directions from the Directorate of School Education, Kashmir there was no response from the management of the school.
“From the record, it appears that the school management has shown least interest in managing the affairs of this educational institution,” reads an 18-page order issued by the Chairperson of the FFRC, Justice Muzafar Hussain Attar.
It said that a complaint was filed against the management of the school to Committee for Fixation and Regulation of Fee of Private Schools (FFRC) in which it was stated that school management is not following the mandate contained in SRO 293 and 123.
“…that the school had changed books against the orders of the Directorate of School Education Kashmir; has sold books and stationery from School premises and school teachers were compelled to do the sale work in the premises of a prominent book-seller in Srinagar…the School was giving out fictitious receipts of Computer Class Fee and collected Capitation Fee and in lieu thereof issued fake receipts,” the order States.
In this regard, the school was asked to respond, which it did not, prompting the DSEK to send in a senior officer to inspect the school.
“…Zonal Education Officer, Batamaloo visited the School on 12.04.2021 and submitted the inspection report to the DSEK. The inspection report records following state of affairs of the School: the School has a strength of about 1,000 students; the condition of classrooms is worst and to the astonishment of the Zonal Education Officer, is not worth to be used for teaching purposes, notwithstanding this fact that school authorities are charging exorbitant school fees and other charges,” the order states.
Also, the Zonal Education Officer in the inspection report has stated that the funds are not being properly utilized on the infrastructure and the basis of the record presented by parents, there are only 34 teachers for more than 1,000 students.
“The list of teachers which has been enclosed with the inspection report was found to be not in conformity with the salary statement and in salary statement, some teachers were missing,” FFRC said,
The panel puts on record that the school has no managing body which could be held accountable and responsible and as per ZEO, Batamaloo, the School is run in brazen violation and derogation of prescribed rules and standards fixed by the Expert Committee.
FFRC also stated that one more serious complaint was made by the Parents’ Association against the School Management that the Annual Fee was increased from Rs.500/Rs.700 to Rs.6000/- in one go.
“The School Management has not responded in a positive manner to the notices sent to it nor bothered to explain its position to FFRC,” it said.
It underlines that the school is not being run to impart education to the children, “but has been created as a source of making money.”
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