Coaching centres to face de-recognition for violating norms
Srinagar: The J&K government on Wednesday warned the coaching centres of de-recognition if they failed to notify their faculty details and fee structure of their respective coaching institutes.
In a meeting chaired by director school education Kashmir with proprietors of coaching centres in the directorate of school education, Director School Education Kashmir, GN Itoo asked the coaching centres to adhere to the guidelines in letter and spirit.
The coaching centres were also instructed not to start any classes in their coaching institutes before 9 am in morning and beyond 5:30 pm in evening.
“Tuition and coaching classes should be conducted between 9 am and 5:30 pm at all coaching institutes,” Itoo said in the meeting and instructed the proprietors of coaching centres to abide by the instructions in letter and spirit.
The Director also asked the coaching centre representatives to stop fleecing students by charging one time advance payment of tuition fee from them.
“This department is receiving complaints that coaching centres are forcing students to pay their whole fee in advance which is gross violation of norms set by school education department. Students should be allowed to submit their fee in installments,” Itoo said.
In the meeting the representatives of coaching centres demanded exemption from GST saying that all the institutes were providing 10 percent free admissions to students in each coaching centre.
“Government in its order has directed us to give 10 percent free admission to students in every coaching centre. But in return we should be exempted from GST,” the proprietors said.
In response to the demand, the DSEK, GN Itoo said that the matter will be taken up with government and exemption of coaching centres from GST will be sought.
“We have various departments which are giving free services and are exempted from GST. If coaching centres are asked to give 10 percent free admissions, you should be also exempted from GST,” Itoo said.
The coaching centres also agreed to adhere to High Court directions and give 9 square feet space per student. However, there was no consensus on pupil tutor ratio during the meeting.
“No coaching centre will increase the tuition fee or change the faculty of their institutes without proper permission from the competent authorities,” Itoo said.
Later, proprietors of various coaching centres said the unregistered coaching centres were taking undue advantage of government’s inaction against them.
“Authorities are not taking any action against those institutes which are not registered with government and are running their classes in violation of set rules,” the representatives from coaching centres said.
KV Correspondent
