Rule 96. Educational facilities for workers’ children

(1) Every employer shall, if the number of workers’ children between the ages of 6 and 12, in his plantation, exceeds 25, provide and maintain a primary school or schools for imparting primary education to the children:

Provided that an employer may not provide and maintain a primary school if there is one under the direct management of the State Government or of any local body for imparting free education to the children up to the primary or higher standard, with enough seats to admit the children between the ages of six and twelve of the workers in his plantation and within a distance of 1.6 kilometres from the place where workers reside in his plantation; or if under any other law, he is required to pay a cess or tax for primary education:

Provided further that subject to the provisions of sub-rule(1) of rule 113, a group of employers may jointly provide and maintain a primary school and share its expenses.

(2) Every school to be provided and maintained under rule 112 shall be conveniently situated and within a distance of 1.6 kilometres from the workers’ quarters.

(3) The school building shall be constructed in accordance with the standard plan or plans which may be laid down by the State Government.

Provided that where there is no standard plan or where it is proposed to deviate from a standard plan, the State Government’s approval of the plan of the school building shall be obtained

(4) Where adequate space is available, an open-air playground with suitable accessories shall also be provided for the children attending the school

(5) The employer or employers, as the case may be, shall provide for every primary school maintained under rule 113 such educational and other equipment as may be considered necessary by the State Government.

(6) The employer or employers concerned shall appoint one teacher for every forty children attending the primary school.

(7) The teacher shall possess the qualifications prescribed by the State Government for teachers in Government primary schools.

Provided that in the case of any person who is working as a school teacher in a plantation at the commencement of these rules, the State Government may, subject to such conditions as it may specify, relax any of the qualifications.

(8) The curriculum, duration, standard and syllabus of the course of instruction to be imparted in the primary school shall be such as may be approved by the State Government.

(9) No fees shall be charged from the worker’s children attending the primary school.