Government bars private schools from collecting annual fee
The government has barred the private schools from collecting annual fee from the parents for the current admission session. The move comes in the wake of complaints registered by the parents in the grievance cell of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha against the private schools.
The parents have complained that the private schools were charging whopping amount as annual charges for session 2019-20 in violation of the government circular issued in June this year.
The government earlier barred the private schools from collecting any fee other than tuition fee from parents for the lockdown period.
The government in its circular instructed the private schools that annual fees, if any, could be charged monthly on pro-rata basis after the schools re-open in J&K.
However, majority of the schools in contravention of the circular instructions collected tuition as well as other fee from the parents and also fixed the annual charges as per their own will for the academic session 2020-21.
A parent filed a complaint against the management of Tyndale Biscoe and Mallinson Girls Higher Secondary School, Srinagar for collecting annual charges from the parents.
In wake of the complaint, the Chief Education Officer (CEO) Srinagar has directed the school management to refrain from asking any annual charges from the students for the session of 2019-20.
“The charges already collected thereof should be adjusted in the monthly tuition fees of the students, failing which action will be initiated against the school management,” the order reads.
The school management has been asked to submit the action taken report in this context within two days for the appraisal of the concerned authorities.
As already reported by Greater Kashmir, majority of private schools have been fleecing parents by collecting transport fee and charges for other facilities which have not been availed by the students from August 2019.
Despite receiving regular complaints against the private schools, the government has not taken action against any violators. The parents also complained that the government orders and instructions remain confined to only papers due to which the schools get a free hand to rip off the parents.
