Unprecedented rise in the fee for coaching to different classes and NEET examination does not head to any dead end as the J&K Fee Fixation and Regulation Committee (J&K FFRC) continues to remain headless after the end of two year term of outgoing J&K FFRC Chairperson Justice (Retd) Muzffar Hussain Athar in November this year. Though regulation of fee fixation should have been as mandatory for coaching centres as it is for Private. The word Fee Fixation and Regulation Committee itself means that fee fixation is not only mandatory for Private Schools but it is equally mandatory for coaching centres also like several states and union territories of the country. Since the coaching centres are flooded with students seeking admission for coaching to different classes and NEET examination, the J&K Fee Fixation and Regulation Committee (J&K FFRC) should not have been allowed to remain headless this time for the purposes of prompt regulation of the fee structures at coaching centres. Unfortunately the disparity in the fee structure at the coaching centres is very huge with Director School Education Kashmir paying no head to the huge discrimination in the fee structure at coaching centres across Kashmir. While Allen, Aakash , S –KIE, KIE and Hope Coaching centres have fixed fee of Rs 60-70 thousand for 9th and 10th Classes having capacity of 60 students per class, the other coaching centres like Target PMT have reduced their fee for the same classes to just 30-35 thousand per class. Surprisingly the coaching fee for 12th Class and NEET examination at Allen, Aakash , S –KIE, KIE and Hope Coaching centres has been fixed over and above the magic figure of Rs 1.25 lacs. While the Allen, Aakash , S –KIE, KIE and Hope Coaching centres had promised coaching by coaching experts of national repute from other parts of the country known for excellence in expertise of coaching , most of the classes particularly those run for foundation courses are being taken up by the local teachers at Allen, Aakash , S –KIE, KIE and Hope Coaching centres who interestingly lack experience and expertise in coaching and fail to satisfy the students they coach. Since hike in fee with a huge compromise on quality of coaching is a new norm at most of the reputed coaching centres in Srinagar and other parts of Kashmir valley, it was for the Director School Education Kashmir to take a serious note of the flagrant violations of coaching norms at the top coaching centres in Kashmir valley which by all standards of understandabilities and norms of Institutional excellence is a huge compromise with quality coaching in Kashmir.
- Much better it would have been for the growth of quality coaching at Valley’s top coaching centres if Director School Education Kashmir would have taken a serious note of the discriminations in fee structures against the coaching centres even if aggrieved don’t dare to come up with their grievances due to the fear of a harsh action from the managements of the leading coaching centres as has been experienced in the past not once but several times. After all the onus lies on Director School Education Kashmir till the appointment of a new Chairperson at J&K Fee Fixation and Regulation Committee (J&K FFRC ) and extension of powers of fee regulation to J&K FFRC .
_____________________________________________________________
Though morality demands that Director School Education Kashmir should have taken serious congnizance of the increasing grievances of the students and parents against the coaching centres for hiking the fee structures on their own after November this year when J&K Fee Fixation and Regulation Committee (J&K FFRC) was rendered headless after the end of two year tenure of Justice (Retd) Muzaffar Hussain Athar as it’s Chairperson. Much better it would have been for the growth of quality coaching at Valley’s top coaching centres if Director School Education Kashmir would have taken a serious note of the discriminations in fee structures against the coaching centres even if aggrieved don’t dare to come up with their grievances due to the fear of a harsh action from the managements of the leading coaching centres as has been experienced in the past not once but several times. After all the onus lies on Director School Education Kashmir till the appointment of a new Chairperson at J&K Fee Fixation and Regulation Committee (J&K FFRC) and extension of powers of fee regulation to J&K FFRC.

