The headmistress of Namkham High School, in northern Shan State, has been extorting money from students by forcing them to buy exercise books, to give donations as well as pay for school stationery, since the beginning of the academic year, according to local sources.
On July 9, Headmistress Daw Win Win Swe, a native of Sint Gine in Mandalay Division, ordered all students to buy the monthly evaluation sheets, made by the school authorities and delivered by her [headmistress]. Each student was required to pay Kyat 500 (USD 0.45) for a sheet. The school has 2, 300 students, said a student from Grade IX.
“We have to pay her [the headmistress] money at least four times a month, at least Kyat 30,000 (USD 27) each time,” he added.
Since the school reopened, each student has been required to pay at least Kyat 100,000 (USD 91) per month on an average, a teacher from the school said, on condition of anonymity.
If a few students fail to pay the money demanded, teachers have to pay instead. In addition, if teachers fail to collect and deposit the money on time, they are liable to be punished or fined by the headmistress.
“On July 8, Nang Shwe Aye (48), a teacher of Room E of Grade VII, was suspended, after she failed to send the money from the sale of exercise books by the deadline, because some of her students could not pay in time,” she said.
On June 24, all teachers were ordered to sell exercise books delivered by the headmistress and they were ordered to send the money by June 30. Every student was ordered to buy a dozen books, which were sold for Kyat 2,400 (USD 2.18), while the market price is just Kyat 1,900 (USD 1.72).
According to another teacher, the students were already ordered to buy a dozen books, since their enrolment on May 25, 2009. Parents of students were asked to pay Kyat 500 (USD 0.45) for the admission form, Kyat 500(USD 0.45) for school stationery, Kyat 2,800 (USD 2.54) for a dozen exercise books and the enrolment fee: primary school Kyat 3,900 (USD 3.54) to 4,500 (USD 4.09), middle school Kyat 6,500 (USD 5.90) to 6,800 (USD 6.18) and high school Kyat 7,400 (USD 6.73) to 10,000(USD 9.09).
"All this is happening despite the junta’s claim of providing free education from the primary to the middle school level," she said. “We are frustrated with her [headmistress’s] activities. She is just trying to fill her own pocket. We request the media in exile to air or publish this matter, because here there is no one, who dares to appeal against it,” the teacher added.
About five students left the school in July, after having failed to pay the book fees, she added.
Moreover, students were also asked to pay for extra classes at the rate of Kyat 30,000 (USD 27.27) per month, said the Grade IX student.
Similarly, Daw Tin Tin Aye, a teacher from Namlin village tract in Namhsan Township, in northern Shan State, was also reported to have collected a lot of money from students. However, no one dared to appeal against the matter, according to the Karen Information Center (KIC)’s report in July.
