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| Rein in private schools | | | Private schools have been in news for wrong reasons for quite some time now. Soon after the COVID-19 pandemic broke out and the government ordered closure of all the educational institutions across the Union Territory, major controversy surrounding the payment of fee during the lockdown period brought the parents and school managements at loggerheads.
After intervention of the government the issue was settled. It was decided that students would only have to pay the tuition fee and no other charges will be imposed. Despite the government directions there were complaints that private schools are not following the instructions and they are fooling the students on the name of providing online education to the children. Another complaint which came to fore during all these months was that many teachers were sacked and the private schools engaged half of the staff to teach students through online mode.
At present admissions are going on in private schools in Kashmir. According to media reports big schools are charging hefty admission fee from the new entrants. Just few days ago the School Education Department had issued a circular asking the private schools not to charge any admission fee but the managements of these institutions have not paid any attention towards the circular and are carrying on with their old practices. It appears that private schools don’t care for the instructions which are passed by the government time to time. It appears that managements of these schools believe that no action could be ever taken against them and they are free to do whatever they want.
These private schools need to be reminded that Right to Education Act doesn’t allow these institutions to charge the capitation fee and if any institute violates this rule it could be fined ten times the amount charged by it. The Right to Education Act was not applicable in the erstwhile State but after J&K’s transition into a union territory it has become applicable here also.
The School Education Department (SED) needs to put its act together and take action according to the law against the institutions that are violating the norms. The SED is empowered to act and it doesn’t need to seek anyone’s permission. The department has to ensure that education become affordable for all and the private schools are reined in. |
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