Guardians protest at increase of school and college fees on the premises of Viqarunnisa Noon School and College in the capital on Thursday.
Many non-government schools have exponentially increased monthly tuition fees thrusting a sudden burden upon guardians.
Some school authorities are also reportedly charging re-admission fees, while some are charging admission fees in excess of the amount set by the government, claimed guardians.
Guardians of students of several schools including Viqarunnisa Noon School and College, Willes Little Flower School and College, Mohammadpur Preparatory Higher Secondary School have taken to the streets to protest the increase in fees.
Usually, schools increased the monthly tuition fees by Tk 200 to Tk300 each year but this year, at many schools, monthly tuition fees were virtually doubled.
Most families have been put under immense pressure through the sudden rise n fees.
‘The government does not take effective measures to ensure school admission fees and monthly tuition fees are kept in control,’ said Rakib Uddin, a guardian.
School authorities claimed they had to increase admission fees, as well as monthly tuition fees, as the daily expenses of running an institution had increased, especially with a rise in teacher salaries.
Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education director (secondary) Elias Hossain said they were aware that some schools had increased monthly tuition fees and some were also realising re-admission fees.
‘We have formed an investigation committee and based on their report we will take action,’ he said.
Guardians of Viqarunnisa Noon School and College protesting the fee hike through demonstrations in front of school on Thursday alleged the authorities had raised the monthly tuition fees of class II to IV students from Tk 800 to Tk 1500.
They said the fee for class VII to IX students were increased to Tk 1700 from Tk 900.
Authorities of Willes Little Flower School and College increased tuition fees of the class I students to Tk 2,150 from 1300, and also increased the fee for class V students to Tk 2,550 from Tk 1500.
Acting principal of the school Abul Hossain said they had increased monthly tuition fees as they need to increase the salary of their teachers and staff.
School authorities said they had increased the tuition fees by 46 per cent for Bengali medium and 62 per cent for English version students.
Agitating guardians said they would begin a non-stop sit-in at in front of the school from January 17 if the authorities do not stop realising increased fees by then.
Udayan Higher Secondary School authorities had increased tuition fee of students of class II to IX to Tk 1200 from Tk 800 and the fee for class I students increased to Tk 2000 from Tk 1000.
Guardians of Motijheel Model School said the school authorities had charged Tk 6000 re-admission fees in the guise of session fees. Shaheed Police Smrity College is charging Tk 11,000 to Tk 12,600 as admission charge. Bangladesh Bank High School is charging around Tk 8,000 from last year’s Tk 2700-Tk 2800 as admission charge from class I to V students.
Schools are charging re-admission fee and high admission fees, although the government had fixed admission fees at Tk 5,000 for schools on monthly pay order and Tk 8000 schools enjoying partial MPO facilities.
The guideline also prohibits school authorities to realise re-admission fees.
Ziaul Kabir Dulu, president of a Dhaka-based guardians’ platform called Abhibhabak Oikya Forum, said that government should fix the monthly tuition fees in the guideline and enforce it strictly.
Source: New Age
