Fees' for transfer certificates not as per DPI order

ALAPPUZHA: Despite an education department circular against collecting funds from students, government and aided schools charge a fee on transfer certificates (TC). Students at many schools in Alappuzha including Areeparambu HS, Cherthala South HS, Kandamangalam HS and Arthungal HS had to pay Rs 150 to Rs 250 for the TC.

A director of public instructions (DPI) order this month says they shall not collect money from Class IX and X students for any purpose without its consent. A parent, a casual worker who paid '200 without a receipt, said he had been asked by the school authorities to pay money, and he did it for not spoiling his child’s career.

“I still don’t know for what purpose they collected money. I didn’t get a receipt either,” he told this newspaper. However, district education officer-in-charge Thomas Varghese said there was no such an instruction to collect money. “We don’t know for what purpose they receive money. We will check with the concerned headmasters,” he said.

Meanwhile, parents say different schools varying fee for TC. Many say it is for its development. M. Anita Kumari, headmistress, Kandamangalam HS, said they collected '250 per head for setting up surveillance cameras on the campus. “We collected the fee as per the decision of the Parent Teachers Association. I am the headmistress, and I do what management asked me to do. We have got any complaint in this regard so far,” she said.

A senior teacher at Cherthala South HS told this newspaper on condition of anonymity that many parents had lodged a complaint. “But it was the decision of the HM. However, we have exempted poor students. The HM told me the fund was for the maintenance of school bus,” she said.