Pay now, get fee reimbursed later: Edu Dept to SC students

Balwant Garg

Tribune News Service

Faridkot, May 17

The Education Department's decision to collect fees from all categories of students, including SC/ST and OBC, of Classes XI and XII in government schools has stirred a controversy.

While the reserved category students claimed that they were entitled to free education under the post-matric scholarship scheme, the department has issued instructions to circle and district education officers vide letter dated May 12 to collect fees from all students.

As per the directions, the students have to pay the entire fee which will be reimbursed to them after funds under the scheme are received from the Centre.

The centrally-sponsored scheme was launched in 2007 under which SC/BC and OBC students whose parents' annual income is less than Rs 2.5 lakh are eligible to avail the benefit of free education post-matric across all educational institutions.

Official sources said the Punjab Government had not received scholarship funds from the Centre for 2015-16. Even 20 per cent of the funds for 2014-15 were yet to be released.

In many parts of Punjab, including Faridkot, the students were on a protest recently as their respective schools had refused to accept their examination form for non-payment of fees.

"The department has conveyed to the schools that all students have to pay fees. But it will be reimbursed once funds from the Centre are received," writes Davinder Pal Singh, under secretary, School Education Department, to the education officers.

The students said once these instructions were implemented, other educational institutions would also follow the same path forcing them to pay fees.

"The development exhibits anti-poor policies of the state government. It is not possible for the students from poor sections to pay the fee of private schools and colleges," said Rajinder Singh, general secretary, Punjab Students Union.