Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Mar 29: Government has mandated that private schools in the Union Territory cannot increase fees without prior approval from the Fee Fixation and Regulation Committee (FFRC), as part of a regulatory framework aimed at curbing arbitrary hikes.
In a written reply to an unstarred question by MLA Shamim Firdous in the Legislative Assembly, the School Education Department said the rule is enforced under the Jammu and Kashmir School Education Act, 2022, and applies to all private schools across the UT.
The Government said fee structures are determined through financial audits of individual institutions to prevent profiteering and check the commercialisation of education.
According to the department, multiple factors are considered while fixing fees, including the school’s location, infrastructure, administrative and maintenance costs, and a reasonable surplus for institutional growth.
Additional parameters include academic performance, grant-in-aid received, use of modern technology, and classification based on locality-rural areas, municipalities, or district headquarters. Student strength and the range of classes offered are also taken into account.
The department said schools are categorised based on infrastructure, with institutions exceeding minimum standards-such as those with advanced laboratories, expanded libraries, improved sanitation and drinking water facilities, smart classrooms, or central heating-placed in higher brackets under the framework.
The Government said the mechanism is designed to ensure transparency and accountability in fee fixation while balancing affordability for students with the operational needs of private institutions.
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