Srinagar, Mar 05: The Jammu and Kashmir Committee for Fixation and Regulation of Fee of Private Schools (FFRC) has issued a final notice to 660 private schools across the Kashmir division for failing to submit the required documents related to the regulation and determination of their fee structures.
According to the notice issued by the committee headed by Justice Sunil Hali (Retd.), several private schools have persistently failed to furnish the necessary files and documentation despite earlier communications from the authorities. The committee stated that this non-compliance raises serious concerns and violates statutory provisions governing fee regulation in private educational institutions.
The notice states that under Section 20-C(3) of the J&K School Education Act, 2002, the committee is empowered to restrain any private school from collecting fees from students until formal approval of its fee structure is granted. Additionally, Rule 8(2) of the J&K Private Schools Rules, 2022 mandates that no private school shall revise or collect any fee without prior approval from the committee.
Terming the continued failure to submit documents as a wilful violation, the FFRC said such actions appear to bypass regulatory oversight intended to curb the commercialization of education.
The committee has granted a final window of 15 days to the managements of these schools to submit complete fee regulation files to the FFRC office. It warned that failure to comply within the stipulated period will lead to an immediate restriction on the collection of any type of fee, including tuition, annual and transport charges, until further orders.
Parents and guardians have also been advised to verify the approval status of the school’s fee structure before making any payments after the 15-day deadline.
The notice states that strict punitive action may follow in case of continued non-compliance, including suspension of recognition of the institution and imposition of fines ranging from Rs 50,000 to Rs 1,00,000 for repeated violations under the relevant provisions of the law.
