Nepalgunj: Some of the schools in Banke are charging tuition fees from the freed Kamaiyas and ex-Kamralies – both former bonded labourers – despite the government’s commitment to provide education free for all.

Various organizations criticized the schools for collecting fees and asked the government to punish them.

A team of different organizations active for the cause of ex-Kamaiyas and ex-Kamlaries Sunday submitted a memorandum to District Education Office, demanding that the schools immediately stop taking tuition fees from the students from the ex-kamaiyas community.

It accused Laxmi Higher Secondary School, Madui Kachanapur Secondary School, Gyanjyoti Lower Secondary School and Siddhartha Lower Secondary Schools, among others, of illegally collecting tuition fees.

Freed Kamayas Main Committee chairperson Shiva Prasad Chaudhari met with the DEO Bhakta Bahadur Dhakal and section officer Daman Shing Chaudhari.

Representatives from Him Rights, INSEC, BESS and Freed Kamlaries Society were included in the delegation, which also handed over the receipts to the officials.

DEO official Chaudhari said they would inquire with the schools in question and take necessary steps.

In Pasupatinagar, District Education Office (DEO) Sunday decided to shut down all institutional schools, which have been operating without fulfilling legal procedures.

DEO also urged all guardians, who have sent their children to such schools, to enroll their students to those schools running legally.

According to a report of DEO, 35 institutional schools failed to get permission from it while other 25 schools are conducting higher level classes by taking the permission of running only lower class.

"DEO is going to close down all illegal schools soon," said Mahendra Prasad Paudel, an official at the DEO.

The DEO said it would make necessary arrangements for the transfer of students to the legal schools.

The students, interested to study in institutional schools, should put on uniforms of private schools and pay tuition fee only from June of this academic session, according to the DEO.

source: RisingNepal(2011)," Schools in Banke charging tuition fees", RisingNepal, 26 June 2011