To Maria and Max

by Kayalvizhi Wed Sep 04, 2013 8:57 pm

I know of a time when there were not many High Schools in rural areas and also there were school fees (no free education). This essentially denied high school education to the rural and poor people. Then in the 1950s and early 1960s, hundreds of schools were opened in rural areas and high school education was also made free in Tamil Nadu. This resulted in the upward mobility of rural and poor families, as their educated children were able to get better paying jobworker afford it?s. (Tamil Tribune September 2013)

What was the monthly fee? Could an average farmer or an urban laborer?

by MaxEntropy_Man Wed Sep 04, 2013 9:28 pm

KV -- i am not sure what the monthly fees were and whether an average farmer or urban laborer could afford it. i primarily attended christian institutions, TN state board schools affiliated with the church of south india (CSI) or the roman catholic church. my folks were by no means wealthy, but solidly middle class. i don't think they paid a whole heck of a lot in tuition at these schools compared to my cousins who attended expensive central board schools in chennai which would have definitely been out of our reach. we never even considered those schools. clearly the education at the schools i attended was subsidized as you say by the TN govt.

when i look at at the schooling i received in various TN schoos, i can say that it was solid, no frills, with many dedicated teachers who were probably poorly paid but loved their jobs.

by Seva Lamberdar Thu Sep 05, 2013 10:02 am

Kayalvizhi wrote:I know of a time when there were not many High Schools in rural areas and also there were school fees (no free education). This essentially denied high school education to the rural and poor people. Then in the 1950s and early 1960s, hundreds of schools were opened in rural areas and high school education was also made free in Tamil Nadu. This resulted in the upward mobility of rural and poor families, as their educated children were able to get better paying jobworker afford it?s. (Tamil Tribune September 2013)

What was the monthly fee? Could an average farmer or an urban laborer?

Let me give you the first hand info. on this, since I attended the Govt. school during 1950s.

The primary education (up to grade 4 / 5) was free (no tuition fee, except for a small monthly administrative fee or 'chanda' of about 1/4th of a rupee/month) in Govt. schools for everyone (irrespective of caste and religion) even in the early 1950s.

From grade 6 (the start of middle school), the education in Govt. schools for OBCs (including people in the farmer caste in the rural areas) and SC/ST was free, except for a small monthly 'chanda' (equivalent to fraction of a rupee each month).

However, the so called "higher" caste students (brahmins etc., even engaged in farming such as my family) had to pay the monthly fee of almost 4 Rs. / month (a large amount during those days) in Govt. schools from grade 6 in 1950s. Luckily, the monthly tuition fee (several rupees / month) for higher caste students (from brahmin families etc.) in Govt. middle schools was abolished in late 1950s (when I was in grade 7) and we also were required to pay only a small monthly "chanda" (fraction of a rupee each month) like the OBC and SC/ST students.

Incidentally, the examination fee etc. for higher caste students in Matric and college examinations (F.A., F.Sc., B.A., B.Sc...) was much more (several hundred rupees) than what the OBC and SC/ST students had to pay (around Rs. 25 to 40). Moreover, there was no tuition waiver for higher caste students in Govt. colleges whereas the OBC and SC/ST students paid no tuition in (Govt.) colleges (their fee included just a small monthly "chanda").

by Seva Lamberdar Fri Sep 06, 2013 10:29 am

Seva Lamberdar wrote:
Kayalvizhi wrote:I know of a time when there were not many High Schools in rural areas and also there were school fees (no free education). This essentially denied high school education to the rural and poor people. Then in the 1950s and early 1960s, hundreds of schools were opened in rural areas and high school education was also made free in Tamil Nadu. This resulted in the upward mobility of rural and poor families, as their educated children were able to get better paying jobworker afford it?s. (Tamil Tribune September 2013)

What was the monthly fee? Could an average farmer or an urban laborer?
Let me give you the first hand info. on this, since I attended the Govt. school during 1950s.

The primary education (up to grade 4 / 5) was free (no tuition fee, except for a small monthly administrative fee or 'chanda' of about 1/4th of a rupee/month) in Govt. schools for everyone (irrespective of caste and religion) even in the early 1950s.

From grade 6 (the start of middle school), the education in Govt. schools for OBCs (including people in the farmer caste in the rural areas) and SC/ST was free, except for a small monthly 'chanda' (equivalent to fraction of a rupee each month).

However, the so called "higher" caste students (brahmins etc., even engaged in farming such as my family) had to pay the monthly fee of almost 4 Rs. / month (a large amount during those days) in Govt. schools from grade 6 in 1950s. Luckily, the monthly tuition fee (several rupees / month) for higher caste students (from brahmin families etc.) in Govt. middle schools was abolished in late 1950s (when I was in grade 7) and we also were required to pay only a small monthly "chanda" (fraction of a rupee each month) like the OBC and SC/ST students.

Incidentally, the examination fee etc. for higher caste students in Matric and college examinations (F.A., F.Sc., B.A., B.Sc...) was much more (several hundred rupees) than what the OBC and SC/ST students had to pay (around Rs. 25 to 40). Moreover, there was no tuition waiver for higher caste students in Govt. colleges whereas the OBC and SC/ST students paid no tuition in (Govt.) colleges (their fee included just a small monthly "chanda").

Interesting thing about these privileges (free tuition etc.) to OBC and SC/ST students in Govt. schools was that in my grades 6 and 7 there were about forty students in my class, out of which about 33 belonged to the OBC/SC/ST categories (including the farmers' children) and paid no tuition fee, whereas the rest (7 or so) belonging to the higher castes and some of them even poorer than OBCs (especially the farmers) paid the full tuition fee.

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