Pvt schools association Jammu to hold agitation on this date

J&K Private Schools Association (JKPSA) of Jammu yesterday decided to hold a protest in the region on January-10 against tagging of several private educational institutes with government schools.

President of JKPSA Ajay Gupta apprised a J&K based news agency that the association of Jammu region unanimously decided to protest against the government move of tagging the students of many private schools with the government educational institutes.

“J&K Private Schools Association decided unanimously to protest on Wednesday January-10 at Jammu against tagging of private schools,” Gupta said.

He said that as of now the Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education (JKBOSE) have tagged 45 private schools of Jammu and 65 private schools of Kashmir division with the nearby government school.

Meanwhile, President of Private Schools Association of Jammu and Kashmir (PSAJK) G N Var said that the association is supporting the protest call of Jammu private schools association. “We extend our support to the JKPSA.”

Pertinently, JKBOSE earlier this week has given a nod to enroll secondary and senior secondary level students of sixty private schools to nearby government institutions in view of ‘land and affiliation expiry issues’.

In this regard JKBOSE Deputy Secretary General for Kashmir division said that the directives have been issued for tagging of on-roll students of sixty private academic institutions of Kashmir Division running their affairs on proprietary land, having their period of affiliation expired and also failed to furnish their extension case files.

“In order to safeguard the academic career, sanction is accorded to tagging of on-roll students of sixty private schools of classes 10th to 12th with the nearby government high or higher secondary schools or cluster head schools, as the case may be in respect of schools of Kashmir division with immediate effect,” it reads.

The officer said that the sanction was accorded consequent upon the expiration of affiliation of such private academic institutions of Kashmir division in October 2021-2022, coupled with the failure of the concerned managements to submit requisite case files for further extension with necessary certificates and safety documents.

“The concerned principals or cluster heads after securing necessary discharge certificates of the concerned students shall authenticate and submit the Permission-Cum-Admission (PCA) forms of classes 10th to 12th and renewal registration returns, as the case may be, with normal prescribed fee, as per the notifications issued by the JKBOSE Director Academic,” it reads.

The board authority has also said that the concerned private schools shall remit a tagging fee equivalent to periodical inspection fee for the current academic session viz. 2023-2024, as prescribed by the JKBOSE.

The board authorities said that the orders shall be subject to the outcome of writ petitions, if any, pending before the competent courts of law.

Earlier the top official has told media that “Under Statutory Order (SO) 177, in the case of those private schools who are running their institutions from the state land and are defaulters, their number is around 200.”

The official said that those private schools will have to get their title cleared from the revenue department. “We only need a NOC from them.”

Pertinently, in April-2022, the government had notified conditions under SO-177 for private schools for their registration, recognition, and affiliation.