Staff Reporter :
The Education Ministry has directed the private educational institutions not to charge enhanced tuition and admission fees without its permission after most of the private schools in Dhaka and Chittagong had increased the fees by a good amount.
The Ministry issued the order on Sunday in the wake of howls of students and parents’ genuine protests against unilateral decision. .
Most private schools and colleges in Dhaka and Chittagong increased the tuition and admission fees citing the hike in the 8th National Pay Scale.
But the move led guardians to come out on the streets, demanding that there be a rollback in the increase in fees.
The ministry order noted that several schools and colleges were charging hiked tuition and other fees without the government’s approval.
“This has created an adverse reaction among students and their guardians,” the order observed.
The governing bodies of the institutions have been told to abide by government
instructions contained in the guidelines of the secondary and higher secondary educational boards.
“In this context, all institutions are being instructed to stop charging increased tuition fees until further notice from the government,” the order read.
The order indicated that the government will issue fresh instructions on the issue soon.
The schools of repute increase the tuition fees almost every year, citing rise in maintenance and other costs.
But this year, the institutions hiked the fees by 50 to 100 percent and they have pointed the increases in public servants’ salaries as an excuse.
Protesting this, guardians have staged demonstrations, formed human chains and observed sit-ins in the past two weeks, but the schools have not budged from their decisions.
Among the Dhaka-based schools that hiked the fees most are Willes Little Flower School and College, Viqarunnisa Noon School, Udayan Higher Secondary School and College, BIAM Model School and College, Mohammadpur Preparatory Higher Secondary Girls’ School and College, Shaheed Police Smrity School and College, Shaheed Bir Uttam Lt Anwar Girls’ School and College, and Bangladesh Bank High School and College.
Similar move by 46 schools run by Chittagong City Corporation and the Navy School and College have also faced protests.
Guardians say the sudden fee hike will put most families, especially the middle income groups and those with multiple school-going kids, in immense pressure.
The Education Ministry has directed the private educational institutions not to charge enhanced tuition and admission fees without its permission after most of the private schools in Dhaka and Chittagong had increased the fees by a good amount.
The Ministry issued the order on Sunday in the wake of howls of students and parents’ genuine protests against unilateral decision. .
Most private schools and colleges in Dhaka and Chittagong increased the tuition and admission fees citing the hike in the 8th National Pay Scale.
But the move led guardians to come out on the streets, demanding that there be a rollback in the increase in fees.
The ministry order noted that several schools and colleges were charging hiked tuition and other fees without the government’s approval.
“This has created an adverse reaction among students and their guardians,” the order observed.
The governing bodies of the institutions have been told to abide by government
instructions contained in the guidelines of the secondary and higher secondary educational boards.
“In this context, all institutions are being instructed to stop charging increased tuition fees until further notice from the government,” the order read.
The order indicated that the government will issue fresh instructions on the issue soon.
The schools of repute increase the tuition fees almost every year, citing rise in maintenance and other costs.
But this year, the institutions hiked the fees by 50 to 100 percent and they have pointed the increases in public servants’ salaries as an excuse.
Protesting this, guardians have staged demonstrations, formed human chains and observed sit-ins in the past two weeks, but the schools have not budged from their decisions.
Among the Dhaka-based schools that hiked the fees most are Willes Little Flower School and College, Viqarunnisa Noon School, Udayan Higher Secondary School and College, BIAM Model School and College, Mohammadpur Preparatory Higher Secondary Girls’ School and College, Shaheed Police Smrity School and College, Shaheed Bir Uttam Lt Anwar Girls’ School and College, and Bangladesh Bank High School and College.
Similar move by 46 schools run by Chittagong City Corporation and the Navy School and College have also faced protests.
Guardians say the sudden fee hike will put most families, especially the middle income groups and those with multiple school-going kids, in immense pressure.
