Chennai: Heads of govt and aided schools must no longer collect exam fee or question paper charges, the school education department has announced.The directive comes in the wake of the Madurai bench of the Madras high court issuing an interim injunction, restraining the collection of such fees from students of Classes VI-XII, as the practice violated the Right to Education Act. Chief education officers have been directed to enforce the rule in all schools in their jurisdiction.Usually, school heads collect ₹100 to ₹150 per student as exam-related fees. The amount is sent to a district coordinator, usually a HM, and subsequently to the printing press where the question papers are printed. Every school maintains a record of the amount collected.Chief education officers have been instructed to receive complaints in this regard and take appropriate action. “Students, along with their parents, can approach the CEO’s office and lodge a formal complaint if the fee is collected. Further, they can make use of the helpline 108 to flag the issue,” an official with the school education department said, adding that strict action will be taken against erring school heads.Student welfare activists welcomed the move, adding that schools must also incur revelation expenses faced by higher secondary school students. “Though the amount is meagre (less than ₹500), students continue to pay for getting scanned copies of their answer sheets. For select subjects like Biology, the revaluation cost is higher as well. The govt can incur these expenses as well,” said S Arumainathan, president, TN Students Parents Welfare Association.
