Extra Admission Fee
24 top schools found guilty
An admission monitoring committee has found that 24 out of 32 prominent non-government schools in the capital charged fees much higher than the amount stipulated in the admission policy.
The committee said the 24 schools charged extra mostly in case of admission to class I. Monipur High School and College took Tk 32,000 for admission to class I, said a member asking not to be identified.
In its report submitted to the education minister on Thursday, the committee recommended that extra money should be returned to the parents or guardians.
The government formed the seven-member committee soon after issuing a first-ever admission policy for non-government schools in December last year.
According to the policy, schools in Dhaka city will not charge more than Tk 5,000 for admission fees and session charges, while schools in other metropolises will charge not more than Tk 3,000.
However, almost all these schools flouted the rule during the admission process.
As the news on charging extra fees was reported in the media, the education minister issued warning to those schools of stern action on January 4 and asked the committee to submit its report soon.
On the basis of allegations and media reports, the committee collected information from 32 schools for analysis.
Committee member Prof Shafiqur Rahman, director (secondary) of Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education, admitted that they have found the allegations true in case of 24 schools.
He however declined to make further comment in this regard.
Eight of the 32 schools followed the policy in charging admission fees.
The committee also said a number of schools find it tough to bear their expenses with the government-fixed admission fees and thus recommended formulating a policy considering time, location of the institutions and expenses.
Meanwhile, another committee on coaching by the schoolteachers in its report suggested that the practice of coaching should be stopped gradually, not overnight.
The committee submitted its report to the education minister on Thursday. In its report, the committee said no teachers will be allowed to run private coaching in their houses, said a ministry source.
Necessary actions will be taken against the violators, the report said, suggesting that school-based coaching may continue for weaker students with the fees fixed by the ministry, the source added.
If necessary, the fees can be increased later, the report added.
The government on January 4 formed the committee headed by a joint secretary (secondary) of the education ministry to look into the practice of coaching and prepare recommendations.
The move came in response to a High Court order that asked the government to explain why it should not be directed to stop teachers working for coaching centres and enact a law in this regard.
-With The Daily Star input
