Row over fee hike spirals

MALDA, 21 MAY: The district inspector of school (secondary) will take stern action against the managing committees and head of the institutions if they do not return excess fees to the students, which have been collected from them violating a government order.

“More than 80 per cent of schools and madrassas have collected excessive admission fees from the students violating government direction in this district. A few members’ elected body cannot adopt a resolution to collect excess admission fees from the students ignoring the government's education policy. Such managing committee's decisions go against the state's education policy,” said Mr Chinmay Sarkar, the district inspector of school (secondary). It may be noted that the government has directed to take admission fees of Rs 63 from each student in the rural belt and Rs 78 from each one in the urban belt. But the school authorities have been demanding sums of Rs 200 to Rs 250 from each student.

Recently, students and guardians backed by various students’ organisations started a movement across the district and lodged complaints with the DI of schools. In many places students locked up schools, confined teachers within schools, blocked roads and beat up teachers on this issue.

“We have issued an order to all school and madrassa authorities not to take excess admission fees violating the government's instructions and asked some alleged school authorities to return the excess amount to the students. If they do not return the excess money received within one month and students lodge further complaints against the school, necessary steps would be taken,” said Mr Sarkar. “If school authorities continue to claim excess tuition fees, we shall report to the board against the headmaster of that school, and will suggest to dissolve the managing committee from where the complaint has been lodged,” Mr Sarkar said.

According to him, the state government's policy is to provide education to children free of cost. The Backward Class Welfare (BCW) department is providing Rs 250 for buying books for SC and ST students every year. Each student (belonging to general and backward classes) is getting Rs 250 for the buying of books every year from the Sarba Shiksha Mission's funds. For this reason, the managing committee or headmaster cannot charge excess admission fees from the students in the name of development funds for the school. ;SNS