A network of parents Wednesday lodged a complaint with the Education Ministry over collection of fees by 200 government schools, claiming it is in violation of the laws and the government's policy regarding free 15-year compulsory education.

Khomthep Praphayont, head of the Network of Parents for Justice in Education, said the schools' explanation - that they utilised a ministerial regulation in June 2008 to collect the fees - was not lawful, because the regulation was never published in the Royal Gazette, thus making it not officially effective.

He said if the collection of money was later ruled unlawful, all schools - mostly renowned ones based in Bangkok and the larger provinces - that had collected fees totalling around Bt40 billion (S$`.67 billion) in the past three semesters, would need to return the money to parents who had paid out.