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Unique fee structure to promote education among the poor

Photo: Lingaraj Panda

Students at Om Public School in Berhampur. —

BERHAMPUR: The monthly tuition fee of a class I student is double of the monthly fee of a class VII student at the OM Public School at Baikunthanagar area of the city.

Although it sounds astonishing, yet this public school is experimenting with a unique fee structure to promote education among the poor and to reduce drop outs in upper primary classes. The tuition and admission fee increase for upper classes; it is the usual fees structure at any school. But the OM Public School has tried to deviate from it.

Around 250 students study in this unique school which has classes from pre-school classes to class VII. According to principal Ajit Sahu, it was the only school with a large number of children from poor families. Mr Sahu said the school management found that most of these students were dropping out after class III as the cost of education was increasing in upper classes.

So, an innovative fees structure was developed. The re-admission charge up to class III was Rs 450. For classes IV and V the same fee will be Rs. 350. The readmission charges for classes VI and VII are the lowest at this school at only Rs. 160.

As the classes ascend the monthly tuition fee also shows a descending trend at the school. The students studying till class III have to pay Rs 60 per month as tuition fee. When the same student reaches class IV or V, the monthly fee gets reduced by Rs. 10. For class VI and VII students the monthly fee is only Rs. 30.

Jyotsna Samal, mother of a class VI student of the school, said the fee structure provided scope to a poor parent to spend the money that he saves on fee on the study materials. Although being run as a philanthropic effort, the management of the school is not interested to provide education for free at this school. They say providing anything for free only reduces its value in the minds of the beneficiary.

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