Unable to pay fee, dalit students in Faridkot village decide to boycott exam

FARIDKOT: Not being able to pay their annual fee, 23 dalit students of Class XII of a government school in a village of Faridkot district have decided to boycott their annual examinations. Students of humanities stream of Government Senior Secondary School of Deep Singh Wala village have not filled forms for their annual exams.
Though regular school fees of dalit students is waived off as per state government's "post matric scholarship scheme," they have to pay annual fee of Rs 1,100 to sit in the board exams.The fee has to be paid by October 29. However, refusing to fill their examination forms, the dalits on Saturday sat on protest outside the office of Fardikot deputy commissioner.
Protesting students Sukhpreet Kaur, Amandeep Kaur, Jiwanjot Kaur and Pritpal Kaur said, "As our parents are labourers, we are unable to pay the annual examination fee and have decided not to fill the forms. We want this fee to be waived off."
Punjab Students' Union secretary Rajinder Singh alleged that the state government was being cruel to poor dalit students. "If the school fee could be waived off, why such students could not be exempted from paying the annual examination fee," he asked.
District education officer (secondary) Sukhchain Singh Gill said, "The annual examination fee is not part of the school fee. So students have to make payment by October 29. I have told parents that if the students fail to fill the forms, they will not be allowed to sit in the exams. However, we have informed higher authorities about the issue. Only the state government can take a decision in this regard."