DSEJ warns action against Pvt schools demanding annual charges, admission fee

JAMMU: Taking cognizance of the complaints against some private schools, Director School Education Jammu today ordered strict compliance of the last year instructions on charging only tuition fee on monthly basis and desisting from asking parents to buy school books or uniform etc from any particular shop.

“In view of the closure of the schools due to spike in Covid-19 cases, the demand of annual charges/admission fee etc is not justified and is in contravention to the instruction of the Administrative department on the subject,” read the order, issued by the Director School Education, Dr Ravi Shanker Sharma.

The Administrative Department, vide circular number 01-Edu of 2020, dated 14-05-2020 allowed private schools to charge only tuition fee on monthly basis and prohibited them from charging any other fee from the students. The schools were allowed to charge annual fee on pro-rate basis only after the re-opening of the schools in proper manner.

“All the private schools shall strictly abide by the instructions viz-a-viz as laid down in Circular No.01-Edu of 2020, dated 14-05-2020 and desist from charging any fee other than notified in said circular, during the current session in view of the Covid-19 pandemic or till any further instructions from Govern-ment,” said the order number DSEJ/14467-581, dated 17-04-2021.

Today’s order was issued in view of the number of complaints regarding the demand of annual charges/admission fee and other charges besides tuition fee by the private schools with the commencement of new academic session for 2021-22.

Also directing the private schools to desist from asking students to buy books and uniform from a particular shop, DSEJ Dr Ravi Shanker has warned stern action against such schools.

The CEO concerned shall regularly monitor through committees already constituted in this regard taking on spot action against the defaulters.

“As the schools are already closed and it has been ordered to provide education through online platforms to the students, so the question of asking students for buying and wearing uniform is illogical and irrelevant and must be desisted,” read the circular DSEJ/14582-697, issued today.

In this regard, the circular has also invited attention of all private schools towards the advisory issued by the Directorate vide number DSEJ/Pvt/10852-68, dated 19-05-2020 wherein it has been made amply clear that all schools shall notify their websites the list of subjects and the books prescribed by the Board to which they are affiliated and no other subject or book shall be made mandatory.

As per the last year advisory: “Under no circumstances, any school shall ask parents to buy books from a particular shop and no school shall prescribe or ask any parent to buy books for pre-primary classes (Nursery/LKG/ UKG). The school shall send activity based learning modules of children of classes of Ist and 2nd for learning.”