Srinagar: The School Education department has been making mockery of its ‘free coaching’ for students hailing from underprivileged section by asking them to deposit heating and material charges.
The scheme launched in 2015 is meant for students especially orphans, physically handicapped and hailing from Below Poverty Line (BPL). According to the guidelines, each tuition centre has to provide 10 percent admission to such students at the beginning of every academic session.
But a notification issued by the department this year has asked the students desirous of availing “free” coaching at the registered private tuition centres to deposit Rs 5,000 as heating and material charges.
According to officials at the school education department, the coaching centres were pressing for charging Rs 9000 from each student falling under the quota. But the demand could not get through and only Rs 5000 was fixed for this year as well.
Last year, many students complained to the department that they had to pay huge amount in the name of study material, examination and heating charges. As many as 1,828 students were selected for the coaching at the registered centres.
Instead of acting tough against the erring centres for charging money from the students, the department has again made a provision for students to fleece students, students said.
“This is a mockery in the name of free coaching for the students who fall in the category. The department is violating its own guidelines by coming up with such a notification,” said a parent of a student who falls under the category.
According to him, this would put brakes on career of students who are not in a position to pay the amount.
These views were echoed by several others who asked the department to follow the rules while seeking intervention of the Lt Governor for withdraw thing the order.
Repeated calls to Director School Education Kashmir, Dr Mohammad Younis Malik for his comment could not materialize.

Irshad Khan