Students protest against demanding of capitation fees

Students from Government High School, Pandian Nagar, Tirupur, protesting against the demanding of capitation fees by the school authorities, waiting at the Collectorate in Coimbatore on Wednesday to submit a memorandum to the Collector. A group of students and angry parents gathered outside the Collector’s office here on Wednesday to seek action against their school authorities for demanding capitation fees.

They were from Government High School, Pandian Nagar, Tirupur. “We are harassed by the school authorities for not paying the capitation fees on time,” says Raghu (name changed on request) who had to drop out of school owing to continuous harassment by the school authorities. “Though I wish to continue my education, I am forced to take up a job in a knitware unit now,” the 14-year-old says. Since his mother could not afford to pay for his fees, he had to quit school. “I was not even allowed to appear for the Class IX examinations,” he adds.For the students from Class VI to X, the school had been demanding capitation fees up to Rs.600. “What is the Government doing to help students who cannot afford to pay fees,” asks G.Selvi, a mother of two studying in the school. “The teachers hit us when we don’t pay the fees and hurl abuses at us,” says G. Indumathi, a Class VIII student.

According to the students, the school authorities make them run errands, sometimes even forcing the students to wash the teachers’ lunch boxes. The school’s justification for demanding capitation fees is that they need the money to pay salaries to the 15 new teachers recruited by the Parent Teachers Association. But, that should not be at the cost of the students’ right to free education, the parents contend.

Children till the age of 14 have the right to free and compulsory education and their yearly fees come up to only Rs.35. This practice of the school should be brought to the notice of the district administration, says B. Vinod, Co-ordinator of Campaign against Child Trafficking.Most of the students in the school were from very poor families and the capitation fees that ranged from Rs.400 to Rs. 600 became a burden on their parents. “I have to pay Rs.700 as house rent. Even drinking water has to be bought in our area,” Ms. Selvi says.

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