M M Jasim :
Both the Bangla and the English medium schools in the capital are doing brisk business by charging exorbitant admission and tuition fees in the absence of proper monitoring by the concern departments under Education Ministry.
The students and the guardians are also being forced by the school administrations to pay extra fees.
According to the policy of the English Medium Schools, the A category schools inside metropolitan areas can charge highest Tk 30,000 as admission and session fee and Tk 3,000 as monthly tuition fee while the amount will be not more than Tk 15,000 and Tk 1,500 respectively for each student outside the metro areas.
The admission and session fees of the B category institutions inside metropolitan areas cannot be more than Tk 18,000 and Tk 7,000 for outside. The monthly tuition fee of the schools in and outside the metropolitan area will be maximum Tk 2,000 and Tk 1,000 respectively.
The maximum amount of admission and session fees of C category schools in the metro areas will be Tk 8,000 and the monthly fee must not exceed Tk 1,500. For the schools outside the metropolitan areas, highest Tk 4,000 can be charged as the admission fees and Tk 800 for the monthly tuition fee.
But real situation is different as the English medium schools in the city’s posh areas are taking at least Tk 50,000 as admission fees violating the Education Ministry’s policy.
Rashidul Hasan, a guardian, told The New Nation that he paid Tk 70,000 to admit his son in Class-4. But he is reluctant to mention the school’s name.
“It is an A-category school. But the management cannot charge extra fee from the students. It is too much” he said.
Many guardians also alleged that the schools increase the admission, readmission and monthly tuition fees almost every year.
Some schools have renamed the readmission fee while some others have hiked tuition fees by 50 to 80 per cent while many schools are simply ignoring the directive, they said.
Meanwhile, the Bangla medium schools in the city are also increasing the admission fees and monthly tuition fees abnormally.
The schools are charging excessive fees, which is too much for those of us who do not earn that much,” said a private service holder, Abdul Mannan, father of a Class 7 student.
Imdadul Haque, a social worker, said underprivileged guardians got worried as institutions were ignoring the official instructions and charging much more than the amount fixed by the education board.
Secretary (Secondary and Higher Education Division) of the Education Ministry told this correspondent that the ministry would take action against those schools who have been taking extra admission fees.
“We have fixed the admission fees for both the Bangla and English Medium Schools. We hope that no school will violate the ministry’s direction. If any allegation is found stern action will be taken against that institution,” the secretary said.
Both the Bangla and the English medium schools in the capital are doing brisk business by charging exorbitant admission and tuition fees in the absence of proper monitoring by the concern departments under Education Ministry.
The students and the guardians are also being forced by the school administrations to pay extra fees.
According to the policy of the English Medium Schools, the A category schools inside metropolitan areas can charge highest Tk 30,000 as admission and session fee and Tk 3,000 as monthly tuition fee while the amount will be not more than Tk 15,000 and Tk 1,500 respectively for each student outside the metro areas.
The admission and session fees of the B category institutions inside metropolitan areas cannot be more than Tk 18,000 and Tk 7,000 for outside. The monthly tuition fee of the schools in and outside the metropolitan area will be maximum Tk 2,000 and Tk 1,000 respectively.
The maximum amount of admission and session fees of C category schools in the metro areas will be Tk 8,000 and the monthly fee must not exceed Tk 1,500. For the schools outside the metropolitan areas, highest Tk 4,000 can be charged as the admission fees and Tk 800 for the monthly tuition fee.
But real situation is different as the English medium schools in the city’s posh areas are taking at least Tk 50,000 as admission fees violating the Education Ministry’s policy.
Rashidul Hasan, a guardian, told The New Nation that he paid Tk 70,000 to admit his son in Class-4. But he is reluctant to mention the school’s name.
“It is an A-category school. But the management cannot charge extra fee from the students. It is too much” he said.
Many guardians also alleged that the schools increase the admission, readmission and monthly tuition fees almost every year.
Some schools have renamed the readmission fee while some others have hiked tuition fees by 50 to 80 per cent while many schools are simply ignoring the directive, they said.
Meanwhile, the Bangla medium schools in the city are also increasing the admission fees and monthly tuition fees abnormally.
The schools are charging excessive fees, which is too much for those of us who do not earn that much,” said a private service holder, Abdul Mannan, father of a Class 7 student.
Imdadul Haque, a social worker, said underprivileged guardians got worried as institutions were ignoring the official instructions and charging much more than the amount fixed by the education board.
Secretary (Secondary and Higher Education Division) of the Education Ministry told this correspondent that the ministry would take action against those schools who have been taking extra admission fees.
“We have fixed the admission fees for both the Bangla and English Medium Schools. We hope that no school will violate the ministry’s direction. If any allegation is found stern action will be taken against that institution,” the secretary said.
