Maungdaw, Arakan State: The headmistress of Maung Nama village Primary school of Maungdaw Township has been collecting extra money from the students enrolling for the academic session 2010-2011, said parents.

The primary re-opened on May 25, for the academic session 2010-2011, but the schoolteachers have been attending the school since June 1.

After the school opened, the students of the primary school were going to enroll and the headmistress Ma Khin Nyunt provided a form to fill up and asked for Kyat 500 for supporting teachers and Kyat 200 for school fees per month.  Earlier, the school fee was only Kyat 70.

A local elder said that fees of teachers and the school entrance fees are paid by the UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund) along with the government.

There is also an affiliated Middle School, which was established last year attaching the Maung Nama Primary school.  For the affiliated middle school, the headmistress collects Kyat 10,000 from one student per month as support for teachers and Kyat 500 as school fees per month. She also collects Kyat 15,000 from a student of class five, Kyat 20,000 from a class six student, Kyat 25,000 from a class seven student and Kyat 30,000 from a class eight student per year, said a local former schoolteacher on condition of anonymity.

All the teachers are appointed by the local villagers for the affiliated middle school. A teacher is paid Kyat 50,000 per month. At present, the villagers have appointed five teachers for the school and three female teachers from the Government Maung Nama primary school are also teaching in the middle school. So, the villagers have to provide them Kyat 20,000 each.

As a result, the expenses of students in the affiliated middle school and government primary school have become very high. So, the poor students are not able to go to school.  Many school going boys and girls are deprived of schooling, said a village elder.

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