Irfan Tramboo
SRINAGAR, Dec 23: In anticipation of the upcoming admission session in educational institutes across Kashmir, the Directorate of School Education, Kashmir (DSEK) today issued a warning to private schools, cautioning against conducting screening procedures or interviews of children and charging capitation fees.
In this regard, DSEK issued a circular stating that it has observed certain recognized private schools in Kashmir charging capitation fees during the admission process and subjecting students and their parents or guardians to screening tests.
The circular highlighted Section 13 of the Right to Education Act 2009, which explicitly prohibits schools from collecting capitation fees or subjecting children and their parents or guardians to any screening procedures during the admission process.
Under Section 13 of the Right to Education Act 2009, the directives stated, schools found in contravention of these provisions may face fines up to ten times the capitation fee charged.
It further said, schools subjecting children to screening procedures may be fined up to twenty-five thousand rupees for the first contravention and Rs 50,000 for each subsequent contravention.
The DSEK circular defined capitation fee as any form of donation, admission fee, contribution, or payment other than the fee officially notified by the school.
It emphasized that various complaints had been received from parents and civil society regarding the unlawful demand for admission fees by private schools.
Due to the alignment of the academic session in Jammu and Kashmir with the national academic calendar as per NEP-2020, the admission process in schools is expected to commence in March. However, DSEK said, the department noted that some schools were flouting this norm.
In light of these concerns, the circular urged all private recognized schools in Kashmir division to refrain from charging capitation fees and other non-notified fees, while the schools have also advised against conducting screening procedures or interviews for admission.
The DSEK warned that any deviation from these instructions could result in the initiation of action under rules, including the cancellation of the registration of the offending school.
To ensure the implementation of these circular instructions, all Chief Education Officers were appointed as nodal officers in their respective jurisdictions.
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