“Allegations are galore that “ Doon International School” is not the only private school to charge “Developmental Fee” to fleece gullible parents but Delhi Public School Athwajan Srinagar is already engaged in a row for charging “Developmental fee” from each one of the students already enrolled in the school and also those seeking fresh enrolments.”
With J&K Fee Fixation & Regulation Committee (J&K FFRC) scrapping the power of private schools to hike admission fee unilaterally on their own and enforcing a uniform fee structure almost three years ago the private schools in Kashmir have discovered a new ploy to charge what they “developmental fee” in lacs from the gullible parents just to fleece them at their own whims and wishes. Lately the “International Doon School” HMT Srinagar is in news for allegedly charging “developmental fee” of Rs One lac from each one of the students enrolled already or seeking fresh enrolments in the school. Allegations are galore that “ Doon International School” is not the only private school to charge “Developmental Fee” to fleece gullible parents but Delhi Public School Athwajan Srinagar is already engaged in a row for charging “Developmental fee” from each one of the students already enrolled in the school and also those seeking fresh enrolments. Though Delhi Public School Athwajan Srinagar after confessing the fault of charging “Development Fee” from the gullible students before the J&K Fee Fixation & Regulation Committee (J&K FFRC) was last year directed to refund the “developmental fee” to all the students from whom it has been charged but unfortunately the school instead of complying the directions of J&K FFRC is endlessly charging “developmental fee” in lacs from the gullible students. Though private schools in Haryana are fined Rs 2 lacs for non compliance of any direction from the Government on violation of fee structure norms since 2021, but In Jammu & Kashmir J&K Fee Fixation & Regulation Committee (J&K FFRC) a statutory body of the Government headed by a retired High Court Judge is not empowered sufficient enough to enforce it’s decisions on private schools who throw to winds it’s directions. Unfortunately such flagrant violations of fee structure norms and the directions of J&K FFRC are yet to attract the attention of the top brass of the J&K School Education Department having the powers to cancel the affiliation of any school with J&K BOSE and even derecognise it for violation of rules and directions of the Government which has established J&K FFRC by virtue of an act.
“To bring institutional and administrative accountability in the working of Private Schools in Jammu & Kashmir the onus of scrapping the “Developmental Fee” practice in private schools and devising a time bound mechanism for the refund of the “Development Fee” to the students who have forced to pay this so for lies equally on both J&K FFRC and as well as J&K School Education Department.”
Though it is an irrefutable fact that not only “Doon International” School HMT Srinagar and Delhi Public School Athwajan Srinagar but dozens of private schools have in flagrant violation of rules set a precedence of charging “Developmental Fee” of a minimum of Rs one Lac from each one of the students for last more than two years but neither the J&K FFRC nor the J&K School Education Department wakes up from deep slumber to bring long awaited respite to thousands of hapless parents who are charged “developmental fee” for the last two years across Kashmir. To bring institutional and administrative accountability in the working of Private Schools in Jammu & Kashmir the onus of scrapping the “Developmental Fee” practice in private schools and devising a time bound mechanism for the refund of the “Development Fee” to the students who have forced to pay this so for lies equally on both J&K FFRC and as well as J&K School Education Department.