Srinagar, Nov 14: The Government Fee Fixation Committee (GFFC) Saturday ordered the private schools of Jammu and Kashmir to charge annual fee only on a pro-rata basis after re-opening of schools.
GFFC Chairperson Justice (Retd) Muzaffar Hussain Attar said, “In respect of charging and collection of annual fee, which means only after the schools reopen, annual fee can be charged on a pro-rata basis on the basis of the orders passed by the committee.”
Defining the term “pro-rata,” the officials of GFFC said, parents of those wards studying in private schools are supposed to pay the annual charges on monthly basis and that too as and when the schools remain open.
In the meantime, GFFC Chairperson Justice (Retd) Muzaffar Hussain Attar said that the decision in this regard was issued last year followed by the another order issued on Saturday on basis of the complaint filed by the Parents Association of Private Schools of Kashmir (PAPSK)
“PAPSK has submitted a complaint wherein they have stated that since the the Committee for Fixation & Regulation of Fee of Private Schools, J&K J&K (FFRC) is continuously regulating the fee structure of schools, the school authorities are misleading the parents by saying that the FFRC has fixed their annual fee, which means that school managements have been allowed to charge annual fee for the previous academic session and in some cases for the next session,” reads the notification issued by the committee.
“Since the schools due to COVID 19 pandemic are still closed, the schools will have to abide by the orders of the government or the GFFC and collect the tuition fee alone, till such time schools reopen,” reads the notification.
GFFC said that last year on May 14, the Government had already directed schools to charge tuition fee.
It is further said in the order that annual fee will be collected by the school management on pro-rata basis when the schools reopen.
The GFFC in its meeting held on 18th March 2021 in one of its resolutions has unanimously endorsed the circular.
“The order is still in force and will continue to remain in force till such time the school reopens.”
The chairperson said, “The school managements are duty bound to abide by and faithfully follow the government circular or the order fully endorsed by GFFC.”
