Govt orders private schools, colleges not to charge hiked tuition, admission fees

The government has directed private educational institutions not to charge enhanced tuition and admission fees without its permission.

The education ministry issued the order on Sunday in the wake of howls of protests by students and parents to the increase in tuition and admission fees at a number of institutions at the beginning of this year.
 
Most private schools and colleges in Dhaka and Chittagong have increased the tuition and admission fees citing the recent hike in the pay scale of government employees.
 
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 had been 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.