Javaid Amin
Srinagar, Nov 2, KNT: As the annual examination season ends and the new academic year begins across Kashmir, parents are voicing mounting frustration over what they describe as the increasing commercialization of private schooling. From shifting curricula to hidden costs, mandated vendor purchases, and sudden fee hikes, many families say what should be a time of optimism has instead turned into a season of anxiety and sleepless nights.
Parents told Kashmir News Trust that some private schools are frequently changing teaching patterns — switching between JKBOSE syllabi and vendor-linked “lead” or app-based modules — without prior consultation or clarity. These abrupt changes, they say, force students to adapt to unfamiliar methods and compel families to spend on new materials not included in their original budgets. “The school said we now follow a new learning app. It meant extra charges, new workbooks, and more confusion for our child,” said one parent from Srinagar.
Beyond the curriculum chaos, another worrying trend is the linking of result declaration to fee clearance. Several parents alleged that schools have withheld report cards or certificates until full annual fees, including add-on or undefined charges, are paid. Experts note that such practices, while not explicitly permitted under any law, violate the spirit of fair access to education.
The J&K Committee for Fixation and Regulation of Fee Structure (FFRC) has issued several circulars warning schools against unauthorized fees, security deposits, or admission charges. Yet, parents say that enforcement remains weak. “We have paid most of the amount, but results are kept on hold over some newly added fee head,” one aggrieved parent said.
Adding to the burden, parents across districts like Baramulla, Pulwama, and Ganderbal reported being compelled to buy textbooks and stationery from designated vendors linked to schools, often at inflated prices. These vendor mandates, families allege, restrict choice and hint at profit-sharing arrangements between schools and suppliers.
The FFRC regulates fee structures but lacks direct oversight over such vendor-linked practices or curriculum shifts, leaving parents with limited recourse. “Education should not become a commercial maze,” said a member of a local parent association, “but many schools treat students like customers instead of learners.”
Middle-income families in particular describe the new session as financially draining, with unannounced fee hikes disrupting budgets and straining household stability. Some parents have postponed other essential expenses or borrowed money to ensure their children’s continued enrollment.
Education analysts warn that such instability can harm not only family well-being but also the student’s mental focus. “When a family’s energy goes into coping with administrative shocks rather than supporting learning, the educational purpose itself is undermined,” said an education expert based in Srinagar.
Parents are now demanding greater transparency, advance communication of any curriculum or fee changes, freedom to purchase from vendors of their choice, and strict implementation of FFRC rules. They also urge the government to make public lists of compliant and non-compliant institutions to rebuild trust.
Despite existing regulations, the gap between law and practice remains wide. Unless tighter oversight is enforced and parents’ voices are formally heard, many fear Kashmir’s education system may drift further from its core mission, nurturing learning, toward unchecked commercialization. [KNT]
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