A group of students from a state-aided higher secondary school in Manikchak block of Malda staged a demonstration in front of the institution on Wednesday, alleging that the headmaster was charging higher admission fees for Class XII than the amount prescribed by the government.
The protest began around 12.15pm, an hour after the school opened at 11 am.
The aggrieved students said they had been asked to come to school that day specifically for class XII admissions, even though no classes were scheduled.
“When we reached the school, the headmaster asked us to pay ₹600 for admission. This came as a shock, as the government-prescribed fee is only ₹240,” said Mehenaj Begam, one of the protesting students.
“Out of nearly 290 eligible students, only 15 completed their admission. For many of us from modest financial backgrounds, this fee is unaffordable,” she added.
Another student, Debajyoti Mandal, claimed that the school authorities had been charging higher admission fees for years, ignoring financial difficulties faced by students.
Some students also said that in previous years, they were not provided proper receipts for the full amount paid during admission.
The protest continued for over an hour and ended around 1.30pm.
The students withdrew voluntarily, but they warned of further agitation if the admission fees were not reduced. During the demonstration, slogans were raised against the headmaster.
Atindranath Das, the headmaster, denied any arbitrary increase in fees.
He said that the ₹600 includes additional components such as contributions for Saraswati Puja and laboratory fees.
“A girls’ school which is nearby charges lower admission fees, which may have led students to make comparisons,” Das said.
“The matter will be discussed in the managing committee meeting and the final decision will be taken accordingly,” he added.