MADURAI
Complaints of government-aided schools charging excess fee from students have cropped up once again in Madurai. The complaints have particularly been made during the admissions to Class 11.
A section of students have alleged that a number of schools were demanding money to issue transfer certificates for Class 10, even if the students were joining Class 11 in the same school.
A student, belonging to a Scheduled Caste community, and studying in a government-aided school functioning near Periyar bus stand, has filed a complaint with the Chief Educational Officer of Madurai on this issue.
He said that the school demanded ₹ 1,750 for issuing the transfer certificate and another ₹ 2,000 for admission to Class 11.
“After the issue was reported to the office of the CEO, they issued my transfer certificate without charging money. However, they are insisting that I pay ₹ 2,000 for admission to Class 11,” he added.
Stating that his parents were daily wagers, the student said that the fee was unaffordable to their family. “The school is not even willing to provide me some time for arranging the money,” he said.
A parent of another student, studying in a government-aided school near New Jail Road, alleged similar issues in the school. “They are demanding ₹ 2,250 for fees under various categories for admissions to Class 11, which I am not in a position to pay,” he said.
D. Arogyam, associated with the non-governmental organisation Sakthi-Vidiyal, which works with children from underprivileged background, said that they were receiving such complaints from many schools.
“There are clear guidelines that these schools must not collect any fee under special categories. The details we obtained through Right to Information (Act) also confirms it. However, no one follows it,” he added.
Denying that the problem was rampant, a senior official from the School Education Department said that swift action was taken whenever such complaints were reported.
