The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Schools collecting fees from the tsunami-hit under scanner

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jun 01, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Schools collecting fees from the tsunami-hit under scanner

Staff Reporter

"Institutions are collecting fees, claiming ignorance of the GO"

CHENNAI: With schools reopening from June 1, the North Tamil Nadu Tsunami Relief and Rehabilitation Committee (NTTR&RC) is busy going round institutions in Tiruvallur, Chennai and Kancheepuram to ensure that children from tsunami-affected areas are exempted from paying school fees as per the Government Order dated February 2, 2005.

Order violated

According to the GO, all educational institutions have been asked not to collect tuition fees, and special fees from students belonging to the tsunami-affected areas from January 1, 2005 to the end of the academic year in April 2006.

But despite this, most of the schools are collecting fees from these children, claiming ignorance of the Government Order, S. Thomas Jayaraj, convenor of the committee said at a press conference.

The NTTR&RC and the Tsunami Legal Action Committee (TLAC) have compiled a list of the offending schools and will shortly be handing them over to the District Collectors, said committee co-ordinator N. Vidhyadharan.

Principals informed

Dr. S.S. Rajagopal who has been championing the children's right to education said, "I informed the director of the Matriculation Schools that many school managements said they did not know about the GO.

The director was of the view that all the school principals and correspondents were informed through all the Inspectors of Matriculation Schools, so according to her, they have all been informed."

Three children from families whose livelihoods were affected by the December 26 tsunami were also present at the press conference.

Student worried

Sasikala, studying at Our Lady Higher Secondary School, will be starting class eight this year.

She said, "My fees are Rs. 1,000. I am scared that if my parents can't afford the money, they will make me stay at home."

The girl children being deprived of an education is of primary concern of NTTR&RC. But in some cases, even the boy may be asked to go to work to provide for the family if they are unable to pay the school fees, says a social worker from Arunodhaya.

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