Schools in Burma started the new academic year today but most students from Kun Chan Kone Township, Rangoon Division are unable to attend.
Most villagers in Ingut, Kyaikpat, Bilinn and Sankauk six miles from Kun Chan Kone are still relying on private donors for their daily food. So their children cannot attend schools yet.
"Even if the parents can muster admission fees, the children have no uniforms and a proper meal to eat in schools," said a local resident who is assisting private donors going to the area to deliver relief material.
The local authorities have not distributed any relief material to cyclone victims now sheltered in State High Schools No. 1 and 2, and the U Baw Za monastery. Moreover it ordered victims on May 22 to vacate the temporary shelters within three days and to go back their villages. Those who could not go back home had to stay in makeshift tents.
Some schools in Rangoon are collecting school renovation fees to the tune of Kyat 20,000 from each student apart from regular admission fees.
A student's mother said that she had to pay Kyat 45,000 (USD 40) for her high school student son and would have to pay more for school renovation fees.
"The school demanded that the students pay Kyat 20,000 each for repairing the school roof. However, the damage to the school roofing is not much. The admission of my 9th grader son cost me Kyat 45,000. Last year it did not cost me much despite buying text books and paying school fees," she said.
Similarly the admission fee for a 5th grader in Syriam, Rangoon Division is costing Kyat 3,500 and payment for text books is extra, a local resident from Syriam said.
However, some schools are not collecting even admission fees.
Students of the State High School No. 4 in Pazundaung, Rangoon have to pay only Kyat 500 for admission forms, a parent of a student said.
"We did not have to pay even a single penny for admission and that goes for new students who have shifted from Rakhine State. We paid only Kyat 500 for the school admission form. I heard that a student admitted to the famous Botataung Township school had to pay Kyat 100, 000," he said.
A local resident in cyclone affected Myetsanni village, Kawhmu Township said though students had been admitted they could not attend because schools had not been repaired.
"The schools are not yet open in Myetsanni village. Schools in Dala Township could be opened today. The school authorities said that admission fees can be paid in August but the fees were not mentioned," he said.
Schools in Myaungmya Township, Irrawaddy Division collected only admission fees and not donations, a parent said.
"Schools in Myaungmya have opened today. The usual admission fee is Kyat 3,000 for middle school students. Some schools which had roofs ripped off have been repaired," a local resident in Myaungmya said.
Since schools in cyclone-hit townships in Irrawaddy Division such as Ngaputaw, Kyaiklat, Bogale, Pyapon, Labutta, Mawlamyinegyun and Dedeye could not open on May 26, the regime postponed opening of all basic education schools in these areas.
The Ministry of Education made an announcement on May 28, 2007 not to collect donation from students. A complaint can be lodged to the ministry if donation is taken, the announcement added.
