School fees subsidies-Railway subordinates’ children c 1935
This page is an appendix to the articles Railway schools and Hill schools.
It is a transcript of a document setting out the rules for school fees subsidies for the children of some railway employees who were “subordinates.” It was found among papers belonging to a family where a student had attended Oak Grove School in the mid 1940s and the father was an employee of the East Indian Railway, having undertaken his apprenticeship with the Oudh and Rohilkhand Railway. It seems to have applied from 1921 to employees of the ORR, then owned by the Government of India, continuing when ORR was merged into the East Indian Railway in 1925. It is not known whether this benefit also applied to other Government of India railway employees.
The exact meaning of “subordinates” is unclear, but may refer to employees who were recruited in India rather than in the UK, or alternatively those who were “not managers”.
Rules for the Education of Children of Railway Employees at the Hill Schools (as published by the old O & R Railway in part III of that Railway Weekly Gazette No 4 dated 21st January 1921 and amended and brought up-to-date in January 1935 in regard to the charges made for board and tuition by the various schools recognised for the purposes of assistance under these rules).
It is hereby notified that for the future, the Hill Schools mentioned in the following lists will be recognised for the purpose of assisted education.
Naini Tal
St Joseph’s College
Diocesan Boys’ High School
All Saints’ Diocesan College for Girls
St Mary’s Convent
Philander Smith College
Wellesley Girls High School
Mussoorie
Oak Grove High School
Caineville House School
Convent of Jesus and Mary, Waverley
St George’s College
St Fidelis’ High School
Woodlands School
Wynberg High School
Convent Jesus and Mary, Hampton Court
(1) The Agent will be prepared to consider individual cases of other Hill Schools on a representation being made by the parents together with full details.
(2) The fees at Hills Schools vary from Rs 30/- to 60/- per mensem and the share of fees to be borne by parents is required to vary accordingly, being less for the cheaper schools and more for the more expensive schools.
(3) The following items are assistable:-
Board and tuition
Use of books – stationery
Games – Library – use of gymnasium
Medical attendance and medicine
Washing
All the other items, such as repairs to boots and clothes and special subjects like Dancing and Music, are not assistable and the fees for these must be borne entirely by the parents.
(4) The parents’ share of the fees for assistable items shall be the actual fees subject to the following limits:-
| ∙ | Class A - Rs 39/- | Class B - Rs 40/- | Class C - Rs 50/- and over |
| One child | 7.1/2 % of salary | 7.1/2% plus Rs 5/- | 7.1/2% plus Rs 10/- |
| Two children | 12.1/2% of salary | 12.1/2% plus 9/- | 12.1/2% plus Rs 18/- |
| Three children or more | 15% of salary | 15% plus Rs 12/- | 15% plus Rs 24/- |
The fees referred to in the above rule are monthly fees and the percentage of salary is calculated on monthly salary. In the event of fees being submitted for broken periods of a month, the percentage of monthly salary given above shall be reduced by one-half in cases where the broken period of a month does not exceed 15 days.
So far as is known to this office, the above-mentioned schools belong to the various classes as follows:
Class A
St Fidelis’ High School (for standards I to VI)
Woodlands School
Wynberg High School (on ordinary school diet)
Class B
Oakgrove High School
Caineville House School (up to standard VIII)
St Fidelis High School (for standards VII to X)
Convent Jesus & Mary, Hampton Court (up to and including standard IV)
Class C
St Joseph’s College (standard V upwards)
Woodstock College
All Saints’ Diocesan College
Convent of Jesus and Mary, Waverley
Philander Smith College
Wellesley Girls’ School
St George’s College
Caineville House School (for standards IX upwards)
(5) In case of parents having children at several Hill Schools:
- (i) The percentage of salary will be based solely on the total number of children at schools and will be independent of the number of schools attended.
- (ii) The amount of surcharge will depend on the number of children at each class of school, independent of the number of schools attended, the more expensive schools being taken first.
The following examples will make this clear:
(a) One boy and one girl at separate B class schools. Total surcharge Rs 9/-
(b) One boy at C class and one girl at B class schools. Surcharge for first Rs 10/- and for 2nd Rs 4/- (Rs 9/- minus Rs 5/-) Total Rs 14/-
(c) Two boys at C class and two girls at B class Surcharge for two boys is Rs 18/- and for two girls is Rs 3/- (Rs 12/- minus Rs 9/-) Total Rs 21/-
(6) Bills for assistable items only be prepared by the school authorities and submitted to the Chief Auditor (now the Chief Accounts Officer, the Divisional Accounts Officer or the Workshop Accounts Officer as the case may be) who will pay them and make the necessary recoveries from the salaries of the parents. The charges for all other items which are non-assistable must be sent direct to the parents and will be paid by them direct to the schools. The parents should advise the school authorities concerned to submit bills accordingly.
(7) The scheme is only applicable to subordinates. These rules were in force on the late Oudh and Rohilkhand Railway and are still in operation in the case of the employees recruited by that railway when the amalgamation of the O & R Railway with the former E I Railway became part of the personnel of the combined system, and who have elected to be governed by the old rules for educational assistance.
NB (I) These rules also apply to the following:
- (i) La Martiniere High School for Girls, Lucknow
- (ii) La Martiniere Collge, Lucknow
- (iii) Loreto Convent High School, Lucknow
- (iv) St Francis’ School, Lucknow
- (v) St Joseph’s Convent High School, Deradun.
- These institutions are classed as “A” Class ones for the purpose of these rules.
- (II) The Vincent High School, Mussoorie, has been recognised as an approved school and placed in class “B”.
- (III) The Church of England Home, Dumbarnie, Mussoorie, has been recognised as an approved institution and placed in class “A”.