Important Update for Parents: New Transport Fee Rules Issued in J&K Schools
Srinagar, 17 November: The Committee for Fixation and Regulation of Fee Structure of Private Educational Institutions (FFRC) has issued an important clarification that will directly impact thousands of parents across Jammu and Kashmir.
The fresh corrigendum, issued to the earlier order dated 25 July 2024, revises the rules on how private schools can charge transport fees during long vacation periods.
In the updated notification, the FFRC has stated that schools which own and operate their transport fleet will be permitted to charge only 50 percent of the transport fee during the winter vacations in Kashmir Division and summer vacations in Jammu Division.
The committee said the reduced fee is justified because the operational cost during long breaks is much lower and should not be fully passed on to parents.However, the biggest relief comes for families whose children use outsourced or hired transport services.
The FFRC has made it completely clear that no transport fee shall be charged during vacation periods if the school does not directly own the buses. This includes transport arranged through contractors, private agencies, or any third-party operators.
According to the order, such service providers cannot raise any fee demand when the service is not being used.The committee said this revised clarification will be effective from the 2024–25 academic session in Kashmir Division and 2025–26 in Jammu Division.
All other terms of the original order remain unchanged.Officials said the decision was taken after repeated complaints from parents who argued that some private schools continued charging full transport fee during winter and summer vacations, even when buses remained parked for weeks.
Many parents had been demanding uniform rules to prevent arbitrary fee practices.The FFRC has also directed the Director School Education in both Jammu and Kashmir to ensure strict compliance, adding that schools violating the order will face action under the existing regulations.
The administration has asked concerned authorities to keep close watch on private institutions during the upcoming winter break, when fee disputes usually rise.
The clarification is expected to bring major financial relief to families, especially in Kashmir where long winter vacations and frequent weather disruptions often leave students away from school for extended periods.
Many parents have welcomed the move, saying it brings fairness and transparency to an issue that has remained unsettled for several years.
