Teachers also not spared
TURA: The head of a local school in East Garo Hills has been accused of collecting unnecessary fees and fines by the parents of students who claim that even teachers have not been spared by the authority.
Concerned parents paid a visit to The Shillong Times office and complained against the principal of the Simsanggre Secondary School for allegedly collecting excess amounts from both students and teachers on the pretext of fees and fines in the school.
According to the parents the collection ranges from picnic fees, first aid fees, parting social fees, Teachers’ Day fees, building fan fees, library fees, sports fees and miscellaneous fees besides the collection of fines of Rs 50/- each for being absent on reopening day, sports week as well as for non submission of SUPW.
An interesting revelation made by the parents is the collection of library fees from students in the absence of a library in the school.
The parents also claimed that teachers in the school were allowed only 10 days of casual leave annually and made to pay an amount of Rs 100 if they exceeded their leave allowance.
The parents informed that the total amount collected as picnic fees, absent fines and SUPW fines is utilized for the annual Christmas feast with the teachers. However, they claimed that the rest of the amount received from other collections is unaccounted for.
“Nobody knows what happens to the outstanding amount as there is no report given about the total expenditure or remaining balance. We demand that a detailed report is given by the principal before December otherwise it will be too late,” they said.
The parents also alleged that mid day meal, which is provided only once a week in the school is also skipped on some weeks, while on others it is prepared with Sodium Bicarbonate which they said is detrimental to the health of the children.
Meanwhile, attempts to contact the school principal for his comments proved fruitless as repeated calls made to his personal mobile number were ignored and left unattended.