Nishikant Khajuria
JAMMU, Apr 19: The School Education Department is learnt to have agreed for consideration of private schools’ demand of automatic enhancement in school fee and annual charges every year at par with neighbouring States, after consultation with Fee Fixation Committee.
Besides, official sources told the Excelsior, the Department has also assured simplification of process for recognition and affiliation of private schools, re-assessing the requirement of different No Demand Certificates (NDCs), joint inspection of private schools in a time bound manner, increasing tenure of affiliation/recognition, simplification of transfer certificates etc.
These assurances were given by the Department after consultation with the representatives of private schools during a meeting, held here recently under the chairmanship of Principal Secretary School Education, B K Singh and attended by Director School Education Jammu/Kashmir and others.
During the meeting, sources said, the stakeholders demanded restoration of Order number 01-FFC of 2019, dated 28-01-2019 and automatic hike in school fee 8-10 percent and annual charges every year at par with neighbouring States viz Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and UP. The issue was discussed in detail and the department agreed to consider the matter in consultation with FFRC, sources informed.
“The department will consider the request regarding automatic enhancement of fee on analogy of orders of different States keeping in consideration increase in cost due to enhancement of salary of teachers, maintenance of school, up-gradation of equipment and machinery and any innovative step,” sources explained.
Pertinent to mention that there was no enhancement in school fee and annual charges for the last three years.
Besides, sources added, if any school wants further enhancement in school fee, then they have to apply for the purpose through online mode with full justification and documentary evidence and for the purpose various private schools associations shall submit a revised proposal for collecting the information from the school for processing their cases for FERC.
The school shall apply only once in three years to FFRC for fee enhancement and this shall be done in an automatic way in case of expenditure involved due to enhancement of salary of teachers while in other cases, it may be reviewed every three years as per requirement of the school.
During the meeting, sources said, the issue of modification in affiliation/recognition process was also discussed and it was assured that Government would consider simplification of the process. As the terms and conditions therein will be simplified, particularly for different NDCs, their requirement will be re-assessed, sources added.
With regard to the demand of making tenure of affiliation/recognition of private schools for at least 10 years, sources informed that the department assured to consider the same in consultation with J&K Board of School Education and necessary amendment in this regard will be made in the SROs in due course of time.
It was also assured that inspection of private schools for affiliation/recognition will be done jointly in a time bound manner, sources said, adding that formal order in this regard is likely to be issued soon.
As waiving off Transport Taxes and increase in life of School buses was also demanded besides one time exception to private schools from paying different taxes and other dues towards Government, the School Education Department has decided to take up the matter with Transport Department and Finance Department after obtaining concrete suggestions from the Private Schools Association, sources said.
The issue of transfer certificates was also discussed in the meeting and it was assured that process of interaction of private schools with the Department and Board will be made more simple and transparent based on IT so that physical interaction is least with least chance of delay.
The meeting was also attended by Umesh Sharma, Deputy Secretary, School Education Department; G N Var, President Private Schools’ Association; Rameshwar Manhas, President Private Schools’ Coordination Committee; Kamal Gupta, President of Jammu Private Schools’ Association and others.
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