With the schools set to open in Kashmir Valley from March 1, we should not forget that the region went through two bad phases. The first was the complete shutdown and curbs on movement of civilians in the aftermath of the abrogation of special status. As the situation was limping back to normalcy, Covid-19 pandemic hit the world economy and millions of jobs were lost. The world economy took a plunge from which it will take many more months if not years to recover. Every section of society suffered. But even as the pandemic was hitting people left, right and center, private schools charged hefty fee from the aggrieved parents while the government particularly the Directorate of School Education Kashmir failed to show its presence and did nothing to bridge the gap between protesting parents and private school authorities. No doubt the Committee for Fixation and Regulation of Fee of Private Schools has been set up in Kashmir to monitor the fee mechanism but on ground it is in stagnation mode. Schools fleeced parents and none came forward for the redressal of their grievances. With the onset of lockdown, no schools functioned in Valley and yet parents were forced to pay the fee. Schools demanded fee on the pretext that they have to pay salaries to the teachers. But, we all know private school teachers get meager salaries. No authority is interested in delivering justice to these exploited teachers and melancholic parents. If parents pay school fee, then schools are bound to pay handsome salaries to teachers who work with heart and soul to add to the glory of any school they work for. Teachers are the builders of any nation and if we fail the teachers we are failing the nation. It is the right time for the government to extend the jurisdiction of the Committee for Fixation and Regulation of Fee of Private Schools. This body needs to look into the affairs of private schools and those issues concerning to parents. It is high time that gap between parents and private schools be bridged in the interest of better education system. The confrontation only leads to trouble. Besides, the genuine issues of parents need to be resolved. The first step would be to set up a genuine fee structure for schools, depending on the quality of teaching and the infrastructure provided to the students. It will go a long way in improving the quality of schooling at these institutions.