A meeting of the Kathmandu chapter of the Fee Fixation and Monitoring Committee (FFMC) held today to decide on fee ceiling for private schools in the district for the upcoming academic session beginning mid-April ended inconclusively.

District Education Officer Baikuntha Aryal said the meeting could not make any significant decision due to differences between guardians and school owners.

“The stakeholders agreed to increase fees in the next academic session without fixing the percentage of increment,” said Aryal.

“School owners stated that the increment should be made in line with the existing education regulations while guardians were not willing to hike the fees.”

The DEO also informed that the meeting, however, was very close to a consensus. “In another meeting scheduled for next week, we will finalise the fee ceiling,” he assured.

As per the sixth amendment to the Education Regulation, every chapter of FFMC should publicise the maximum fee limits in private schools three months before the commencement of an academic session.

Garnering a consensus among guardians and teachers thereafter, school management committees should propose the fee structure in respective DEOs two months before the beginning of a new academic session for approval.

After that, the schools should publicise the approved fee structure in their notice boards for public attention.

Aryal admitted that they were late in determining the maximum ceiling this year.

“It will be completed within a few days. We have already issued directives to schools that they can admit students only after March 28,” he stated.

source: The Himalayan Times, 16 Feb 2012