7 schools hiked fees 11-100pc

Seven renowned non-government schools in the capital had collected tuition fees hiked by 11 percent to as high as 100 percent before the government ordered them to stop it, according to a report.

The Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education submitted the report to the education ministry on Wednesday suggesting that tuition fees of non-government schools that are enjoying partial MPO (monthly pay order) facilities should be set in keeping with the new pay scale of government employees.

It prepared the report upon an investigation into the complaints by guardians of fee hikes.

"Our proposal is not final. The ministry will take the ultimate decision," said an official of DSHE, who looks after the issues of schools, preferring anonymity.

The ministry is likely to hold a meeting with the schools' authorities next week to discuss the matter, another official said, wishing not to be named.

A discussion is going on about increasing tuition fees by 10 to 20 percent, he said, adding the final decision would be made in consultation with all stakeholders.

A number of renowned private schools in Dhaka suddenly hiked the monthly tuition fees this month citing teachers' demand for a pay increase like government employees' in the new pay scale. 

The fee hikes outraged guardians who staged demonstrations for two weeks, saying that the institutions had hiked the fees in the absence of specific guidelines by the government.

Then the order came asking the schools' authorities to stop collecting hiked fees until further notice.

Willes Little Flower School and College increased tuition fees by 45 percent for Bangla medium students and 61 percent for those studying in English version.

Abul Hossain, principal of the school, acknowledged the fee hikes, saying the school had stopped collecting hiked fees following the government order.

Udayan Higher Secondary School and College was way ahead among the institutions in this context. It increased fees by 100 percent for class-I students and 50 percent for other classes.

For English version students, the increase was 20 percent on average, according to the report.

Viqarunnisa Noon School and College made Bangla medium students pay 87 percent more and English version students 70 percent more.

Mohammadpur Preparatory Higher Secondary Girls' School and College hiked tuition fees by 60 percent on average for students from class-I to class-X.

The tuition fees of class-I to V students in Shaheed Police Smrity School and College rose by 42.8 percent, says the report. For students of class-VI to X, the increase was 37.5 percent.

Bangladesh Bank High School and College was also in the race, charging students from class-I to class-X 50 percent more.

The 11 percent fee increase made by Ideal School and College for Bangla medium students was much less compared to others.