Parents of students at Taungkalay High School in Hpa-an have expressed concern that they still have to pay educational fees for their children despite Naypyidaw’s promise that state schools – from primary to secondary level – would provide children with free registration and textbooks.
Taungkalay High School opened on June 2nd, but before school started middle-school students had to pay money on May 25th in order to get admitted into the school. One parent, who spoke with Karen News on the condition of anonymity, said that parents had to pay 5,000 Kyats (USD $5.15) per child in the secondary level.
“According to the state government, primary and middle-school students were supposed to be admitted to school without [paying] school registration fees. But now middle-school students are still having money collected from them as in previous years. I had to pay 5,000 kyats (USD 5.15) per student when I went to register my children.”
Other parents reported paying even more, with several parents telling Karen News that some students had to pay up to 10,000 kyats (USD $10.31) for their enrollment fee.
The headmistress of Taungkalay High School, Daw Hla Yee, said the money will be used to pay for various school facilities, including tables, a well, and concrete floors. Yet she also said the money was actually collected as a “donation” by the school advisory body and that teachers weren’t involved.
Speaking to Karen News, Daw Hla Yee said the money wasn’t collected for textbooks or enrollment fees: “School enrollment and textbooks are free for students from primary to middle-school levels. There are six exercise books provided for primary-level students. [Rather, money is only] being collected with the intention of providing better school services.”
The head village administrator, Saw Htay Kyaw, said that “these circumstances will still exist. We need to take time to change and improve in order to create a perfect system. The relevant officials will need to take actions step-by-step. Everyone only wants good things to happen.”
Taungkalay High School was established in 1991. It has 50 teachers and approximately 1,300 students.
Naypyidaw has officially stated that there would be no fees for enrollment or textbooks at all primary and secondary-level government schools during the 2014-2015 academic year.
