M Aamir Khan
Srinagar: The Committee for Fixation and Regulation of Fee of Private Schools (FFRC) has ordered a 50 percent reduction in the monthly fee of two top private Valley-based schools.
The orders were passed against the Foundation World School, Mammath-Humhama and Birla Open Minds International School, Pampore.
Based on the complaint filed by Suhail Dar against Foundation World chool, Mammath- Humhama, Budgam wherein it was alleged inter-alia that the school is charging a fee at exorbitant rates from the students without approval from the competent authority, the FFRC headed by Justice Muzaffar Hussain Attar has now fixed the monthly fee between Rs. 2900 and 3200 from Nursery to Class VIII.
Even as the school was presently charging Rs.6360/- per month as tuition fee, the complainant had submitted that there were only three Cambridge affiliated schools in the J&K out of which only the Foundation World was charging the said amount.
There is a disparity in tuition fee between the two with the Foundation School charging Rs.6360/- per month compared to Rs.3000/- charged by British International School, the complainant had stated.
After meetings with the school authorities and complainant, the FFRC order dated March 18, 2021, also said it will get the rent of the school fixed as per the government norms.
“The School is run by a trust which is charitable in nature and is registered U/S 12 A of Income Tax Act. The settler of the Trust is the father of the owner of the property who has leased out property to the Trust. For initial years, zero rent has been paid and surprisingly it has jumped to almost 3 Crores within 2 years. The veil has to be lifted to ascertain the true picture. The School in the meanwhile shall get the rent fixed by Government Authorities in terms of settled norms and submit a report to FFRC within three months. The School shall provide authenticated details about the excluded expenses mentioned,” the FFRC order said.
Interestingly, the Foundation World had earlier filed a petition before the FFRC seeking permission to hike the tuition fee to Rs. 7000’. The school authorities had submitted that it launched the institution with an ‘aim to introduce children to International Education’.
In another order, the FFRC said it had received several complaints from the parents of students of the Birla Open Minds International School, Pampore in Pulwama district that the school was charging fee without the approval of the Competent Authority.
While the school was presently charging Rs. 4900 to Rs. 6000 per month, the FFRC has directed the Birla Open Minds, Pampore to fix the monthly fee between Rs. 2900 and Rs. 3200.
