Govt should take Private Schools on board before passing orders
Srinagar, Sep 12 : Reacting to the recent tweet by Principal Secretary School Education and Skill Development Dr. Asgar Hassan Samoon (IAS) where in he has sought the opinion from parents on reduction of the tuition fee by 30% as per High Court Judgments of the Madras and Rajasthan Government, The J&K Private Schools Coordination Committee (JKPSCC) said other states have followed Supreme Court Directions of charging full tuition fee from the parents.
In a statement, JKJCCPS said that the both Madras and Rajasthan Government had asked private schools not to charge any fee from parents. “However, the high court of these two states directed the schools that they may charge upto 70 percent of the tuition fee till final judgment will come.”
President JKPSCC Showkat M Chowdhary said they should not take the High Court of Madras and Rajasthan Government has the role models “but other 26 states where in private schools are charging 100 percent tuition fee as per the directions of the Supreme Court and their respective High Courts.
“Other 26 State Governments are following SC directions and we should also follow those directions. The Judgments of the Courts of Madras and Rajasthan Government should not be used as a yardstick for the J&K state especially Kashmir.”
JKPSCC has also urged the Principal Secretary to take private schools on board before taking any decision on the tuition fee to be charged from parents due to pandemic.
Chowdhary said private schools are making untiring efforts to provide online classes to the students under current circumstances.
“Our teachers are making more efforts than normal days as they have to remain informed about each and every student through online classes and assess their progress. They provide them regular worksheets and assignments. Even parents are witness to how teachers are engaging the students in schooling them properly.”
He said the private schools have not laid off the teachers and other staff while at the same time they are paying usage charges and other expenses without fail.
“Despite receiving very less fees from the students since August 2019, the private school management has released the salaries of the staff by taking loans from the financial institutions. Private Schools are currently under acute stress due to the non-payment of the fee form the students,” said President JKPSCC.
Chowdhary said almost 90 percent of the tuition fee is utilised in paying the salaries of the teachers and other staff while as other income through admission and annual charges is utilised for the infrastructure development.
“If there is a curtailment in the tuition fee, it will only hamper the growth of the private schools. The schools will be forced to shut down. In that case, students will have to seek admission in government run schools,” he said.
JKPSCC has urged parents to deposit fees so that private schools don’t have to take extra burden of bank loans which will only hamper their efforts to provide quality education to the students.
