Justice Hakim Imtiyaz Hussain, Chairman of Committee for fixation of fee structure of private educational institutions, has said that the private schools of the State cannot be allowed to charge exorbitant fees from the students studying in such schools.
“Complaints regarding such increase in fee will be dealt with strenuously. Schools that do not indulge in excessive fee charging will be allowed to have reasonable increase as per the norms after due process of their cases but schools who have got surplus income and where increase in such fee is not justified at all cannot be allowed to make any such increase,” Justice Hussain said.“While dealing with the cases for increase in the school fee structure, due consideration will be given to the standard of the school, infrastructure, past result, facilities provided to the students, approach in imparting education and general reputation. Schools that receive benefits from the government in the shape of grant-in-aid will be asked to provide due concessions in their fee structure,” he added.
The Committee for fixation of fee structure of private educational institutions has started functioning and issued a formal circular asking the private schools to furnish necessary information about their schools and the fee charged by them on the prescribed format.
In another circular, the Committee has asked the schools that have applied for permission to collect fee from the students for the months of September and October, 2014, to state grounds on the basis of which they seek such permission.
High Court of Jammu and Kashmir in its various orders had directed the schools not to charge fee from the students for the months of September and October, 2014 as the valley was affected by floods during those months.
The Committee has also asked the parents/pupils to approach it if any unreasonable increase in the fee was made by the management of any school in contravention of the directions of High Court.
