The School Fee Fixation Committee (SFFC) has warned private schools against charging capitation fee.
Newly appointed chairman SFFC, Justice (retired) Muzaffar Hussain Attar on Friday issued an order stating: “It has been a common knowledge that some private schools are charging admission fee while admitting children to schools. The tiny torts without any reason are also submitted to screening.”
The order has been issued at a time when complaints are pouring in against private schools for charging capitation fee and putting students to screening at the time of admission.
The SFFC order said that most of the schools were collecting admission fee. “Imparting education has never been a commercial activity but has all along being a saintly duty,” the order reads, adding that the educational institutions whether government or private, have to perform their duties properly and produce good human beings instead of “commercial beings”.
The order has been issued in reference to the Right to Free and Compulsoy Education Act, 2009 which became applicable to J&K from October last year.
“Section 13 of the Act mandates that no school or person shall collect any capitation fee and subject the child or his or her parents or guardian to any screening procedure while admitting a child,” the order reads, adding that contravention of section 13(1) Act, 2009 will result in inflicting punishment upon such school which may extend to ten times the capitation fee charged.
The order restrained the management of the private schools from collecting admission fee at the time of admission.
“If any private school has collected admission fee same shall be paid back to the concerned guardian,” the order reads, adding that the guardians who have paid admission fee are at liberty to provide information of the same to the administrative officer SFFC in person or through email: chairmanffc@gmail.com.