KOCHI: Schools in the state are unhappy about an endeavour that the General Education Department has entrusted them with. Even as the pandemic has made life difficult for parents, the department has directed schools to collect funds from students through the sale of stamps.
“Such fund collection is usually done to finance sports meets or kalotsavams,” said a teacher seeking anonymity. Each stamp costs Rs 15 and schools have been asked to sell stamps three times their student strength, said the teacher.Another teacher said:
“We can understand such a drive being conducted if the department has to organise sports meets or kalotsavams. However, no such programme has been organised for the past two years,” said the teacher, adding, “Already, we have deposited funds raised via sale of stamps for the 2021-22 academic year. Now, the department wants us to collect funds for the previous academic year. Isn’t this gross injustice,” asked the teacher.
Another teacher said there are 12,644 schools, including lower primary, upper primary and high school, in the state with a total of 37,16,897 students. “One can only imagine the amount that will be generated through the sale of the stamps.
However, when it comes to allocating money for the schools’ needs, the government doesn’t lift a finger,” said the teacher. The headmistress of a government school said, “Though the department shows great enthusiasm in collecting funds through stamp sales, when it comes to spending money to meet the mid-day meal expenses, it becomes tight-fisted.” Even now, after repeated requests, the department refuses to heed our demands for a raise in the mid-day meal funds allocated to schools.