The authorities of educational institutions are putting pressure on guardians to pay tuition fees amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

Many schools in the capital are demanding payment of tuition fees in the name of providing assignments to the students.  

Students of secondary schools are now doing assignments as the annual examinations have been postponed this year.

Talking to guardians whose children are studying at different educational institutions in the capital, it has been learnt that many schools are asking for tuition fees till the month of December for assignments given to the students.

“Most of the middle and lower middle-income families are struggling to survive. Many people lost their jobs while many are incurring losses in their businesses due to the coronavirus pandemic,” a guardian said.

Under straitened circumstances, many guardians could not pay the tuition fees from two to eight months. At the end of the year, the total tuition fees have become an extra burden on guardians especially belonging to lower and middle income group.

About the tuition fees, Secretary of the Ministry of Secondary and Higher Education Md Mahbub Hossain told the Bangladesh Post, “Both the educational institutions and the guardians should be tolerant. How the salaries and allowances of the teachers and employees of the institutions will be paid if the parents do not pay the fees?”

“It is also true that the income of many guardians has been lost due to corona. In their case, the educational institutions should be humane. An instruction will be given in this regard soon,” he added.

South Point School and College in the capital is putting pressure on guardians asking for tuition fees including other charges by sending message.

Not only the South Point, almost all other non-government Bengali and English Medium schools are sending message and even calling the guardians repeatedly.

Motijheel Ideal School and College is one of the renowned institutions in the capital. The authorities of the institutions are collecting salaries through Rocket, Nexus Pay etc.

It has about 27,000 students in three separate campuses including Banasree, Mugda and Motijheel.

It has been alleged that the institution collects advance tuition fees. Even now, guardians are being asked to pay tuition fees for the month of December.

Dhaka Education Board Chairman Ziaul Haque said, “We have repeatedly asking the educational institutions not to put any pressure to collect tuition fees. The educational institution is not a place of business; it has to be run considering all the condition.”

Ziaul KabirDulu, President of Bangladesh Guardians’ Forum, told the Bangladesh Post, “Despite the directive of the Ministry of Education not to put pressure on the collection of fees during this crisis, many institutions are not following it. The schools and colleges do not pay any heed to it.”

Contacted, Principal of Motijheel Ideal School and College Shahan Ara Begum, said, “Institutions have no other source of income except tuition fees” and asked how they would run it, if the guardians do not pay.

According to the parents, tuition fee is being collected from Tk 1350 for first to tenth grade, Tk 1,550 for English version and Tk 2,100 in college branch.

Viqarunnisa Noon School and College has three campuses in Dhanmondi, Azimpur and Bashundhara, including the main campus on Bailey Road.

The total number of students is about 27,000. The institution is charging Tk 1,400 for first to tenth grade students, Tk 1,600 for English version and Tk 2,100 for tuition for college level.

Viqarunnisa Noon School and College Principal Fauzia Rizwan said around 2,000 students of her institutions have been given partially or completely tuition fee waiver.