Government primary schools have been directed to collect exam fees from students at fixed rates, graded by class, to cover the cost of holding examinations, the secretary of the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education, Md. Sakhawat Hossain, said. At present, head teachers are given a slip allocation, he said, and in many cases that makes it difficult to arrange exams. Teachers often have to spend money out of their own pockets. So, rather than having teachers spend their personal money, the fee can be collected from students within a fixed limit, he said.
He made the remarks on Saturday (June 13) as chief guest at a conference at the national office of the Bangladesh Girl Guides Association. The conference was held by the Girl Guides’ Holde Pakhi wing together with officials connected with the wing and with primary education.
The secretary said schools had been directed to charge exam fees of Tk 30 for third-grade students, Tk 40 for fourth grade and Tk 50 for fifth grade. This was not improper, he said, because it is not practical for teachers to conduct exams by spending their own money.
He said that although the slip allocation was currently limited, the allocation had been increased for the future, and it was hoped that schools would receive comparatively more funds in the coming financial year.
Noting that questions could be raised about the exam fee, the mass education secretary said: “If necessary, I will explain the matter myself. There are examples of various kinds of educational institutions charging exam fees at far higher rates. Our aim is to take a realistic approach so that activities such as exams can be conducted without putting additional financial pressure on teachers.”
The discussion at the conference was moderated by the national commissioner of the Bangladesh Girl Guides Association, Kazi Zebunnessa Begum. Taking part were the joint secretary (planning) of the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education, Saiful Islam; the Girl Guides Association’s Holde Pakhi commissioner, Bela Rani Sarkar; the deputy national commissioner (program), professor Dr. Yasmin Ahmed; the regional commissioner for the capital (additional charge) and for the Mymensingh region, Anjuman Ara; Yasmin Akhtar Banu; and Roushan Ara Khan.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report