Srinagar: At a time when entire India is fighting for eradication of black money, Kashmir-based schools are busy in doing the opposite.
Though the Education ministry has been repeatedly informed about many prominent private schools in the Valley laundering black money, there has been no action against the erring institutes. Instead, the parents allege, the schools have been given a free hand.
Reports inform that that at the onset of admission process in Kashmir for KG classes, several private schools demand hefty amounts from the parents in the name of ‘donation’ or admission fee. At least six top schools in the Valley have extracted no less than Rs 70, 000 for each admission.
But to utter surprise of everyone, these schools do not issue any receipt against the money they extract in the name of admission fee. Each of these schools admits at least 150 students in KG. “There is no receipt given against the so-called admission fee. There are no records kept for the same. We really don’t know where that money goes,” says a parent who recently admitted his 4-year-old son in a prominent school based in Srinagar.
Parents also say that against the ‘donation fee’, the receipt is issued for just Rs 3000 instead of Rs 70, 000. “This is clear anarchy. But the saddest part of it is that the government isn’t doing anything. This is black money laundering, and it seems that the Education Department is hand in glove with these private institutions,” says another parent.
Moreover, representations from several parent associations were given to the Education Department over the issue, but to no avail.
The parents also alleged that the incumbent Education Minister, Naeem Akhat Andrabi, who makes hefty claims about revolutionizing education sector in J&K is deliberately not taking any action against these schools.
In 2013, the then government had constituted a panel to fix the fee structure for private institutions in the state.
The government had also underlined the importance of putting in place rational fee structure in private education institutes operating in the state.
However, three years down the line, no action has been taken against any erring school by the panel.
Early Times Report