Return admission fee to Kashmir parents: ‘FFRC directs ‘Foundation World School’

Srinagar: In an order that can have far reaching consequences, the Fee Fixation Regulation Committee (FFRC) on Thursday directed the Foundation World School, Humhama to return admission fee to the parents.
While passing the judgement, the FFRC cited a Supreme Court order where it prohibited charging of admission fee by the schools.“In view of the aforesaid circumstances, the Principal/ Chairperson/ Vice-Chairperson / Trustees of the Foundation World School, Humhama/ Mammath, Budgam, are directed to return and refund amount of Rs .50,000 to complainant, Mr. Suhail Dar and all other parents from whom Admission Fee has been charged and collected within fifteen (15) days and submit compliance report,” FFRC chairman Justice (retired) Muzaffar Hussain Attar said in a 15-page order issued on Thursday.
The order was passed after complaints from parents where they had stated that the school had charged an amount of Rs. 50,000 as admission fee in May 2019 in violation of FFRC, Directorate of School Education Kashmir and Supreme Court orders.
The FFRC pointed out that the Supreme Court had consistently prohibited charging of capitation fee that was similar to the admission fee charged by the school.
“The Supreme Court has consistently prohibited charging of capitation fee which is akin and similar to Admission Fee,” the FFRC order said.
In a separate order in March earlier this year, the FFRC had ordered a 50 percent reduction in the monthly fee of the Foundation World School. However, the High Court has put the FFRC order slashing the monthly fee of the Foundation World School, Mammath-Humhama by 50 per cent on hold and that particular case is presently subjuidiced.
Earlier this month, the Chief Education Officer of Budgam had served a notice to the Foundation World School over ‘unauthorised teaching of Classes 6 to 9’ at the institution.
The chief education officer had pointed out that the school was ‘provisionally granted registration in 2019 to run the classes up to Class 5 only for a period of five years’.
However, the notice said that during an on-spot visit of Education Department officers, it was confirmed that the school was ‘functioning up to Class 9 in gross violation of norms without any permission or registration’.