SRINAGAR: Ahead of admission session in educational institutes of Kashmir, School Education Department (SED) Saturday warned recognized private schools from conducting screening procedures or interviews of children and charging capitation fee.
Besides, the department also said that the private recognized schools of Kashmir division shall desist from charging the admission fee and other non-notified fees.
According to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), Director of School Education Kashmir (DSEK) in a circular said that it has come to the notice of DSEK that some recognized private schools charge capitation fee at the time of admission and subject the students and their parents or guardians to screening test.
Section 13 of Right to Education Act 2009 clarifies that ‘no school or person shall, while admitting a child, collect any capitation fee and subject the child or his or her parents or guardian to any screening procedure.’
The government further said that under the section 13 of Right to Education Act 2009 if any school or person, if in contravention of the provisions of sub-section(1), ‘receives capitation fee, shall be punishable with fine which may extend to ten times the capitation fee charged or if that school subjects a child to screening procedure, shall be punishable with fine which may extend to twenty-five thousand rupees for the first contravention and fifty thousand rupees for each subsequent contravention.’
It is pertinent to mention here that capitation fee means any kind of donation, admission fee or contribution or payment other than the fee notified by the school.
DSEK said, “Various complaints from parents and civil society are pouring in regarding the demand of admission fee by private schools which is totally against the law of the land and a punishable offence.”
It also said that due to change in the academic session in Jammu and Kashmir in conformity with the academic calendar of the entire nation as per NEP-2020, the admission time in schools should begin in the month of March and many schools are flouting this norm as well.
“Therefore, in the light of the facts, it is impressed upon all the private recognized schools of Kashmir division to desist from charging the capitation fee (admission fee) and other non-notified fee and avoid conducting screening procedures or interviews of children for admission,” it reads.
The directorate further said that in case of deviance from any school in this matter, action under rules shall be initiated to the extent of cancellation of registration of the said school.
DSEK in this regard appointed all Chief Education Officers as nodal officers in their respective jurisdiction to ensure implementation of these circular instructions in letter and spirit.