SFFC asks institutes not to charge admission fee

SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir School Fee Fixation Committee (SFFC) on Monday issued a notification directing private schools across Union Territory not to charge admission or capitation fee from the parents for the new academic year.
While the Jammu and Kashmir education department has said that order in this regard will be issued shortly under the Right To Education (RTE) Act, 2009.
The Jammu & Kashmir School Fee Fixation Committee of Fee Structure of the Private Educational Institutions was established in the year 2013 and in terms of the judgment and orders passed by the Supreme Court of India and the High Court of Jammu &Kashmir the committee is empowered to regulate the fee structure of the Private Educational Institutions.
The notification was shared by Principal Secretary Education Dr. Asgar Samoon on Twitter.
He tweeted, “Any private school charging capitation fees/ admission fees in violation of the RTE Act, 2009 & the Fee Fixation committee orders may refund it to the parents immediately; orders to be issued shortly”.
The notification issued by the committee comes at a time, when private schools across Kashmir valley have started taking admission of KG and LKG classes, while seeking hefty admission fees from parents.
As per the official notification issued by the Administrative Officer Committee for Fixation of Fee Structure Nazir-ul-Hassan Shah which reads, “Since the new session is about to commence and schools are already in process of completing admission formalities, the office has been receiving complaints from parents alleging that the institutions are charging a huge amount of admission fee in the violation of orders of the committee, court and the government.
“The order of the committee dated 28th January 2019, has clearly mentioned that any private school which contravenes any provision of this order or any order of the committee or Government may lose the recognition by the concerned board of the government. The committee through notification directed the private educational institutions are directed not to charge admission fee in violation of orders of the committee, government, and high court. Action under rules may also be initiated against such private schools having already collected the admission fee", it added.
It is pertinent to mention here that the committee put a ban on the charging of admission fee from parents/students by private educational as per clause (8) of the order which reads as "Private schools shall not charge in any manner, any other fee including admission fee or any amount”.