Can Teachers Use School Fees to Help Poor Students? An Islamic Perspective

Understanding the Islamic Ruling on Collecting and Using School Fees

Question: If we are teaching in a school and some of the children come from poor families, can we give the school fees collected to these poor children, knowing that the school is government-run? Occasionally, teachers impose fines on students to prevent them from taking leave. If those fines are sometimes spent on personal matters, would that be sinful?

Answer: There are several aspects to consider in response to your question. 

1. The first point is that if it is a government school and the government has not imposed any fees for education or for students taking leave, then it is not permissible for a teacher to collect any such fees from the children that the government has not imposed.

2. The second point is that, in light of Sharia, it is not permissible to impose financial penalties on anyone. Therefore, the financial penalties collected from students who take leave in schools and madrasas are not permissible according to Sharia.

3. The third point is that where the government has imposed fees for a specific purpose, the teacher can only collect those fees, and since that fee is a trust from the government, it is necessary to deposit it into the government treasury; it should not be spent on personal matters or for the children.

In summary, it is not permissible to collect financial penalties from school students or to collect fees on one’s own accord to give to poor children. If a teacher wishes to help a poor child, they should do so from their own pocket and funds. If a teacher spends such money on personal matters, they would be sinful. 

✍ Sheikh Maqbool Ahmad Salafi, may Allah preserve him

❪Jeddah Dawah Center – Al-Salamah – Kingdom of Saudi Arabia