Praneeta Prakash 
[ FilePhoto ]
Disciplinary action has been taken against schools found to be charging enrollment or tuition fees.
The Education Ministry confirms they have had instances where schools levied these charges and have been dealt with.
Deputy Secretary Corporate Services, Edwin Kumar stresses that no school is permitted to charge enrollment or tuition fees, in line with the objectives of the Free Education Grant introduced in 2014.
“The Ministry’s stance is very clear. There is no enrollment fee or tuition fee that is supposed to be charged by schools. The free education grant is a grant that is provided by the government to ensure that the learning and teaching initiatives of the school is supported.”
Kumar says that while voluntary fundraising activities are permitted, these must be approved by the Ministry.
“What the school is allowed is a voluntary fundraising that is approved by the Ministry. And that is only approved per school, one per year. And that’s completely voluntary. There is no force, there is no enforcement.”
Kumar says that there is no mandatory requirement for any parent or student to pay any kind of tuition or enrollment fees to schools.
