City school price list for certificates that come free
LUCKNOW: A price list in hotels and restaurants is a common sight. But a school putting up a price list for certificates that should come free of charge is certainly uncalled for.
Baby Martin International School in Dubagga on Hardoi Road here has done exactly that. It has displayed a detailed price list for issuing various certificates on its gate. Students are required to shell out additional money if they want certificates and documents ‘quickly’.
The school list reads: Want transfer certificate in 3 days then spend Rs 600, in 15 days it is Rs 350. Also, report card for Rs 250 in 2 days. The same is available for Rs 100 but in 7 days. The list does not end here. It says bonafide certificate is available in a day for Rs 500 and half the price in 7 days. Similarly, certified copy of birth certificate is for Rs 100 in a day and Rs 50 in 5 days.
The extortion bid by the school left Class 12 pass outs angry when they read the price list and they resolved to expose the greedy administration. They took pictures of the notice displayed at the gate and within a few hours it went viral on social media and on Whatsapp. DIoS Umesh Tripathi said schools cannot charge money and certificates should be made available free of cost.
“The matter has come to my knowledge and it will be investigated,” he said. As per rules, school cannot charge a penny from student for mark sheets, certificates etc. They comes free from the Board,” said Jawaid Alam Khan, CBSE coordinator for Lucknow. He said, “The Board sends all the documents then how come some school charges money to make them available.”
Khan, however, admitted that some schools do charge a small amount of Rs 100 for transfer certificate.
A Class 12 student of Baby Martin School said the school administration had been extorting money from students all throughout the year under various heads.
“We were forced to buy books and stationery from the school itself,” he said. The school administration, however, could not be contacted. The telephone number mentioned on its website was out of order.