Srinagar: The Committee for Fixation and Regulation of Fee in Private Schools (FFRC) of J&K has again extended the deadline to the schools for the submission of fee structure and details, and the last date has been set as September 30 now.
Action against defaulters has been warned in the latest order.
The FFRC chairperson has acknowledged the representations submitted by the private schools of J&K seeking time to file details of the fee structure and related documents in the set proforma.
A decision regarding this was taken earlier this week and the schools were warned that the failure to file details as required by the committee may result in punitive action.
The decision of the committee came after the committee received representations from the Private Schools Association for granting extension in time period for submission of information citing reasons that schools are reopening after a long spell of closure due to Covid-19, and the school managements are busy in preparation for opening of schools and having in place the SOPs.
Moreover, the extension orders said that the schools are currently busy conducting exams and there was a staff shortage for preparing the documentation due to Covid-19.
An official in the committee said that the dates had already been extended thrice in May and July this year and most of the private schools had not filled documents required to examine the issue of fee structure set for the admitted students.
As per an order of the High Court, schools must clearly intimate the fee structure and their books of accounts before the committee for scrutiny.
The committee is tasked to make a judgement about the justification of the fee and other charges that the schools seek from students.
Donations, capitation fee and other charges with various names have been banned by the committee. The penalty for schools involved in profiteering and charging donation and capitation fee can go upto cancellation of recognition and affiliation.
Earlier, last week, the FFRC directed a private missionary school in Srinagar to charge the students Rs 525 instead of Rs 1480 as bus fee to continue services of the staff recruited for running the transport services.
Similar directions have been issued to many schools in the past.
However, the issue of bus fee in the pandemic when no student transport is plying but a number of people recruited for bus services are dependent on the charges, remains unresolved.
The parents’ bodies from many schools have sought intervention to regularise the bus fee of private schools immediately.