Covid fallout: Poor unable to pay board exam fee

Karam Prakash

Tribune News Service

Patiala, November 28

Seventeen-year-old Hardik Singh of Government Senior Secondary School, Laut, in Patiala district, is unable to pay his class XII board examination fees. Reason: the impact of Covid-induced lockdown and cascading effect thereof on family income.

The father of Hardik, who works as a security guard in Bhado Majra village, said they were the ones who had to bear the brunt economic fallout of Covid-19 most.

The Punjab School Education Board has already directed the students to pay the fees, the last date of which is November 30.

Hardik said, “Monthly salary of my father is around Rs 8,000 while my elder brother and sister are already pursuing BSc (Non-medical). Therefore, my father does not have money to pay my fees. We are already under financial stress due to the lockdown.”

Hardik is not the only government school student in the state who is unable to pay the board examination fees. Similarly, Prabhjot Kaur, a bright student of the same school, is also unable to pay her fee for class X examination because her mother lost work due to Covid. Her mother, the only breadwinner in the family, earns money by stitching.

The Tribune has learned that there were many such children who were unable to pay the board examination fees.

School principals, along with school staff, are either paying the fee of needy kids by themselves or making arrangements to pay it, said sources.

Meanwhile, teacher unions — owing to the financial constraints due to Covid-19— has demanded waiver of the board examination fees.

Vikram Dev, senior vice-president, Democratic Teacher Front, said, “At this pandemic time, students have been asked to deposit board examination fees which is impossible for poor parents who are struggling for their livelihood. They don’t have money to eat, how can they pay around Rs 1,500 for examination? “

Meanwhile, Patiala District Education Officer Harinder Kaur said, “All students have to pay board examination except those from the SC category. Until now, there is no provision to waive the board examination fee for poor students.”

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Box:

Class X Rs 800 Rs 100 per subject

Class XII Rs 1,200 Rs 150 per subject