FFRC approves new fee structure for several private schools

Srinagar: The Fee Fixation and Regulation Committee (FFRC) of the private schools Thursday approved the new fee structure of around 11 private educational institutions for the next two academic sessions – 2021-22 and 2022-23.

Approving the new fee structure of the schools, the FFRC has reprimanded some private schools for charging annual fee from the students in violation of the government orders.

   

Taking review of the records submitted by the R P School Mallabagh, Srinagar, the committee in its order has said that the annual fees of the school was not regulated by the FFRC till issuance of the fresh order.

“It means that the school has charged and collected an annual fee in violation of the committee order. The school records prima facie shows that a huge amount is being spent on the items which have no relevance to education of students,” the order reads.

The order said that education cannot take the character of business.

Notably, the FFRC has approved the new fee structure of RP School MallaBagh, New Dreamland Educational Institute BeehamaGanderbal, JK Public School Humhama, Fayaz Educational Institute Nowgam Srinagar, Spring Buds Educational Institute Ompora, Mallinson Girls Higher Secondary School, Tyndale Biscoe Higher Secondary School, Kashmir Valley School Humhama, Tyndale Biscoe and Mallinson School Tangmarg, Burn Hall School and Presentation Convent Higher Secondary School Srinagar.

The FFRC order said that some of the schools had enhanced all types of fee over the past years in violation of the committee orders.

It said that the monthly fee structure and annual fee of Fayaz Educational Institute would remain same for the next academic sessions so that there is no commercialisation of education.

The school can hike the fee in the 2022-23 academic session, as approved by the committee.

All the schools whose cases have been reviewed have been instructed to open a separate account in a scheduled bank separately for development funds, which may be up to 15 percent.

“The school management should maintain a separate record in respect of the development funds,” the order reads. “The schools should not charge any fee from the students other than the fee approved by the committee.”

Barring the schools from charging annual fees from the students, the committee has maintained that children who were already studying in the school had made huge financial contributions by paying a one-time admission fee and annual fee for years together.

“It has resulted in development of infrastructure of the school and these students cannot be further burdened by asking them to pay the same annual fees which will be fixed in respect of fresh entrants,” the order said.

However, the committee has said that charging an annual fee from the students should be subject to facilities provided to the students and actual expenditure of the schools on relevant overheads.

The FFRC has also asked the school management to make a reasonable annual hike in the salary of its employees including teaching as well as non-teaching staff.

“The approved fee structure has to be uploaded on the school website, displayed on notice boards besides publishing it in newspapers,” the order said.

The committee while approving the new fee structure for Mallinson HSS and Tyndale Biscoe HSS, Kashmir Valley School Humhama and Tyndale Biscoe and Mallinson School Tangmarg and Burn Hall School maintained that these schools had hiked the fee for 2019-20 after getting approval from the Parent Council.

“But the schools maintained the same fee structure in 2020-21 and have not charged any annual fee from the students during the academic session 2020-21,” the order said.

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