With FFC defunct, PSAJK jumps in to cap fee hike at 10%

By
Daily Excelsior
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Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Feb 15: With the J&K Fee Fixation Committee (JKFFC) lying defunct and headless, the Private Schools Association of Jammu and Kashmir (PSAJK) today issued directions to all of its member schools to cap any fee hike at a maximum of 10%.
The intervention has come on complaints received by several parents regarding arbitrary hikes in fee by certain schools. The condition, PSAJK said, will be subject to new directions of the Fee Fixation Committee which is currently headless.
The Association said that it was forced to decide after parents alleged that some schools have increased the fee by a substantial amount thus affecting the students.
PSAJK said that the entire situation has arisen due to the non-functioning of the Fee Fixation Committee.
“The Jammu Kashmir Fee Fixation Committee (JKFFC) has been headless for the last three months and this has led to utter confusion everywhere. Some schools have been getting signals to increase the fee and they are doing the same. Others are waiting,” PSAJK said.
The Association said that they are at the cusp of a new session and our academic calendar is experiencing a titanic shift this year.
“Even at this crucial juncture, the government is displaying inefficiency by ignoring FFC. In the absence of a clear-cut directive from the FFC or any other government agency, schools feel they have got the green signal to increase fees according to their norms. They too are under stress which is adding to the situation.”
The Association said that till the government appoints a new chairman and FFC starts functioning properly, it has decided to intervene with a short-term measure.
“No school can increase the fee by more than 10 per cent as of now. We are trying to maintain a balance. Going by the current situation our schools are in dire need of finances. The inflation has broken the back of our school, but we have to take into consideration the parents too. So as a middle path, we have capped the hike at 10% till the formal orders from the FFC,” PSAJK.

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