Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Oct 21: The Committee for Fixation and Regulation of Fee of Private Schools (FFRC) today pulled up private schools for asking parents to comply with the ‘illegal demands,’ and resorting to other violations which it said are being reported by the committee on a daily basis.
In an order issued here, the FFRC said that it is flooded with the information and reports that some of the Private School Managements in violation of the Supreme Court judgements and breach of the statute are asking the parents to comply with “illegal demands” such as deposit huge/small amounts as refundable deposits, payment of advance tuition fee either for 6 months or for a whole year.
“Parents are being called to schools and are being asked to clear the pending fee and are being threatened that in case the pending fee is not cleared, then their wards will be deprived of all the schooling facilities,” it said.
The FFRC said that no school management shall demand, charge or collect any amount whether small or big in the name of refundable deposit/fee and security deposit/fee or any other name as mandated by Section – 20 E (1) of the Jammu & Kashmir School Education Act’ 2002.
It went on to state in the order that no school management shall demand, charge or collect advance tuition fee beyond the period of one month, “except where the parent/guardian volunteers to pay advance tuition fee.”
“School Managements are directed not to cause impediments in the pursuit of academics/education of children, only for the reason of non-payment of fee dues; the school managements, however, will be within their rights to seek recovery of the unpaid fees, but in accordance with the law,” the FFRC said.
It said that the Jammu and Kashmir School Education Act’ 2002 has specifically prescribed that private schools shall not charge any fee from students or guardians, except tuition fee, annual fee, transport fee and voluntary special-purpose fee such as; picnic, tour and excursions, or any other fee as may be approved by the Committee for Fixation and Regulation of Fee of Private Schools.
“It is further provided that private schools shall not charge in any manner, any other fee including admission fee or any amount by whatever name called than the fee mentioned in the said provision of law,” it said, while adding that refundable fee/deposit’ is not a legally permissible fee, so can neither be demanded nor collected.
It noted that the demand of some of the school managements to the parents to clear the pending fee dues failing which academic pursuit of the child will be adversely impacted, besides being violative of the judgements of the Supreme Court, “is also unethical and immoral.”
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