FFC’s 6 % annual fee order: Parents, PSAJK discontent with hike

Srinagar, Feb 01: The parents, as well as Private Schools Association of Jammu and Kashmir (PSAJK), have expressed their discontent over the order issued by Jammu and Kashmir Fee Fixation Committee (FFC), a government-appointed body, which approved 6 per cent fee hike in private schools three days ago.

The committee on January 28 approved an annual fee hike of 6 per cent for private schools. “The private schools may raise their fee structure annually by not more than 6 per cent on the fee structure existing as on August 1, 2018,” read the order.

However, the order has come under sharp criticism from various quarters.

In a statement issued here, the Parents’ Association of Private Schools Kashmir (PAPSK) condemned the Committee’s latest order by saying, “The order is against the interests of the parents and sets up the wrong precedence for future.”

Mubashir, whose ward studies in Green Valley School said, “Authorities did not take the parents association on board before drafting this order. By just talking to few people doesn’t mean that they took parents association into consideration. It is purely is a business.”

Zahoor Ahmad, another guardian whose ward studies in DPS Baramullah, said, “This is injustice towards the parents. I fail to understand why do we have to pay the tuition fees during winter vacations?”

Meanwhile, another private school association, the Private Schools Association of Jammu and Kashmir (PSAJK) has termed the government decision to allow a 6% fee hike annually “as too late and too little.”

The Association also expressed its shock over the government’s decision, to stop private schools from charging a one-time admission fee from students.

The Association said that the Committee should have followed the Indian system, wherein 8-15 % fee hike is allowed.

G N Var, Chairman of PSAJK, said, ” We want the government to allow us to charge 10% annually as per government order of 2006 and also one-time admission fee as is the norm.”

“From smart classrooms to new learning aids and specialized training to teachers, everything become possible when schools have good finances,” Var added.

Chairman of FFC, Justice (Retd) Hakim Imtiyaz Hussain, refused to comment over the issue.