Schools of Eminence: Parents object to ₹240 fee for transportation facility

Schools will pay ₹1,200 to the transporter and of the total amount, 80% funds will be borne by the government while the rest of the amount will be contributed by parents of students

Parents of students studying in Schools of Eminence and girls’ school will have to shell out ₹240 per month if they want to avail transportation facility for their child.

Officials said unavailability of transportation facilities was the major reason behind unoccupied seats in meritorious schools. (HT file Photo)

The school education department will be offering bus service for Schools of Eminence and girls’ schools in the coming days. However, the decision did not go well with the parents as they said the state government had promised free education at Schools of Eminence and now they have imposed transportation fee for the same.

According to directions issued to the district education officers (DEOs) of secondary education, and principals of Schools of Eminence, schools will pay ₹1,200 to the transporter and of the total amount, 80% funds will be borne by the government while the rest of the amount will be contributed by parents of students.

Officials said unavailability of transportation facilities was the major reason behind unoccupied seats in meritorious schools.

A parent said, “If the government wants to start transportation facility, it should provide it free of charge. Otherwise, we will be forced to shift our students to meritorious schools as they have hostel facility.”

Teachers’ Democratic Front (DTF) state president Vikram Dev Singh said, “We condemn the decision of charging transportation fee from parents. It will add more financial burden on parents. The government should bear all transportation fee and should start the facility in all government schools, instead of a few selected schools.”

Sangrur DEO (secondary education) Sanjeev Sharma said the education department directed them to arrange bus facility for students at Schools of Eminence.

“School management committees will hire buses for students at the rate of ₹1,200 per student. Of it, ₹960 will be paid by the education department and parents will pay the rest amount,” he added.