Teachers protest hike in registration, certificate fee
Amritsar, October 3
A delegation of government teachers from Amritsar participated in the demonstration held outside the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) office in Mohali on Tuesday. They were protesting against the PSEB’s decision to hike the fee for obtaining hard copies of certificates of Classes V, VIII and X.
Terming this move by the PSEB as unethical, besides being a violation of the laws of free education promised to disabled students up to the age of 18 under the Rights of Persons With Disabilities Act, 2016, and to all students up to Class VIII under the Right to Education Act, the teachers said the hike would not be in the interest of the students.
“To impose a fee of Rs 250 per student for board classes up to Class XII, which was Rs 200 till last year, is not a conducive sign for the students of government schools, who come from poor families. At the invite of the Democratic Teachers’ Front (DTF), Punjab, we are here to protest the imposition of certificate fee, increase in the examination fees and heavy fines by the PSEB. After sending the “objection letter” through the District Education Officers (DEOs) and the District Education Officers (DEOs), no review has been announced by the board,” informed Ashwani Awasthi, district head, DTF, and a government school teacher.
The teachers said the board was also looking at issuing the examination certificate to earn money. They alleged there had already been an undue increase in the examination fees, registration and continuation fees and fines and late fees, etc, taken from the students by the PSEB lately.
