With no check from the authorities, the private schools continue to fleece parents of students enrolled in the private educational institutions in Kashmir.According to wire service —Kashmir News Observer (KNO), the parents complained that the schools over charge the monthly tuition fee and annual charges from the students enrolled in the educational institutions.The complaints pour in at a time when a government school fee fixation committee (SGGC) is in place to regulate the fee structure of the schools. The parents of students enrolled in private schools across Kashmir have accused the school management of fleecing them by overcharging monthly tuition fee and annual charges from the students.A group of aggrieved parents alleged that the schools have fixed the exorbitant fee structure for the students without seeking permission from the school fee fixation committee (SFFC). The committee has been constituted by the government to regulate the fee structure in private schools.“The fee structure is always fixed arbitrarily without taking parents on board. Parents are not consulted while taking any policy decision,” a group disgruntled parents told KNO.The complaints continue to pour in against schools for giving arbitrary hike in its monthly fee structure without seeking proper permission from the competent authorities.
Meanwhile, the parents complained that these schools are minting money from them under the garb of “disseminating education.”“The management of the schools never seeks suggestions from parents before giving hike or fixing any fee structure for the students,” the aggrieved parents said. “We wonder as to why we are asked to get pen drives collecting assignment materials of our wards. If we are supposed to get print out of the assignments, then what for leading schools of Kashmir are charging printing charges.”A parent whose kid is studying in class 12th in one of the private schools said the monthly fee has been fixed at Rs 4500 besides the Rs 7000 as annual school charges.The schools have started charging annual fee from parents without any approval from the competent authorities. The aggrieved parents appealed the authorities in school education department to intervene into the matter and put a check on the arbitrary hike in fee by the school management.Meanwhile an official in SFFC said they have already issued showcase notices to schools who overcharged parents. "But the parents didn’t follow the issue properly. The parents should submit or email their grievance with the committee. Action will follow,” the official said. (KNO)