School board locks out teachers for charging fees for extra lessons

Officials of the Dayanand Memorial Vedic School in Penal on Monday locked out teachers and students after learning that the teachers were using the school compound after hours to teach children for a fee.

A report in the Express newspaper quotes Balram Ramdial, secretary of the Arya Pratinidhi Sabha (APS), as saying the the school board moved against the teachers following a directive from the Ministry of Education.

"The principal was informed on Wednesday last week that the school would not be used to give any lessons where fees are charged. This is in keeping with regulation from the Ministry of Education that if lessons have to be given it must be given free," Ramdial told the paper.

Ramdial added, "I sent a letter to the school security informing them that the school would not be available to be used to be giving any lessons. Yet they still informed the teachers and parents and students to turn up there."

Ramdial admitted that teachers were charging for the extra lessons. However the Express quoted an unnamed official as saying the teachers were not charging parents for the extra lessons.

Yolanda Morales, communications specialist in the Ministry of Education, confirmed that charging students for lessons is a breach of policy.

She said, "In a case like this, the board is the owner of the property outside of school hours. So these lessons cannot take place there without the authorisation of the board. If the board did not grant permission these classes cannot take place at the school".

Ramdial said the issue arose last year and earlier this year, but the board backed down because the teachers were preparing the children for the SEA exam.

The president of the school's Parent Teachers' Association (PTA) told the Express about 35 parents signed a petition seeking permission to use the school on condition that the teachers would not charge a fee. Ramdial said he has not yet received the petition from the PTA.