Private Schools Barred from Charging Admission Fees in Violation of Law

SRINAGAR: The Committee for Fixation and Regulation of Fee of Private Schools (FFRC), Jammu and Kashmir, has issued a circular prohibiting private educational institutions from collecting security deposits or any unapproved admission fees from parents, warning that such practices violate statutory regulations and place an unjustified financial burden on families.

The directive, dated August 5, was signed by Justice (Retd.) Sunil Hali, Chairperson of the FFRC. It follows a spate of complaints alleging that some schools are demanding “security deposits” during admissions, ostensibly in lieu of admission fees. The Committee described this as an arbitrary attempt to bypass legal provisions laid down in the Jammu and Kashmir School Education Act, 2002, and related rules.

Citing Section 20-C of the Act, the FFRC reiterated that no fee or charge may be collected by private schools without explicit approval from the Committee. Under Rule 8(2) of the Jammu and Kashmir Private Schools (Fixation, Determination and Regulation of Fee) Rules, 2022, schools are permitted to charge only the tuition and annual fees approved by the regulatory body.

“All private educational institutions operating in Jammu and Kashmir are advised to adhere strictly to the approved fee structure and refrain from imposing any unauthorised charges,” the circular stated.

Parents and guardians who have already deposited such payments have been urged to lodge formal complaints with the Committee. The FFRC assured that the identity of complainants will remain confidential.