87 percent IIOJK students forced to pay course fees, far above India’s average
Srinagar: In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, official figures have revealed that 87 percent of students are paying course fees in schools — a figure 30 percent higher than India’s average of 57.1 percent.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the data shows that in occupied Jammu and Kashmir, 89.3 percent of male and 84.3 percent of female students reported expenditure on course fees by level of current enrolment. In comparison, only 57.1 percent of students across India incur such charges.
In rural areas of occupied Jammu and Kashmir, 85 percent of students, including 87.7 percent males and 81.7 percent females, reported payment of course fees. The situation is even grimmer in urban areas, where at least 96.1 percent of students, including 95.9 percent males and 96.3 percent females, are compelled to pay.
At the higher secondary level, students in occupied Jammu and Kashmir reported 100 percent expenditure on course fees, while India’s average stood at 85.9 percent. Similarly, at the secondary level, 98.7 percent of students in both rural and urban areas reported paying such charges.
Observers say the figures expose the burden on Kashmiri families already facing economic hardships under prolonged military occupation, contradicting Indian claims of welfare and affordability in the education sector.
