Teachers and school authorities have expressed their satisfaction over government's decision regarding tuition fees, terming it as a balanced guideline.
Now, private school authorities will be able to ensure 'teachers' and other staffers salary by collecting tuition fees and continue education through distant learning programme.
However, many guardians argued that the tuition fees should not be collected as they faced financial losses due to Covid-19 and no formal class was held.
Earlier on Wednesday, a circular issued by the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education (DSHE) asked all the non-government schools not to collect re-admission, development, assignment, tiffin, library, magazine and laboratory fees from students during Covid-19 pandemic.
DSHE also said school authorities should adjust the amounts with monthly tuition fees if they had taken it already.
At the same time, the circular said the school authorities can collect monthly tuition fees so that teachers and educational institutions will not face financial crisis.
It is known that guardians at many private secondary schools did not pay tuition fees of their children for months.
As a result, many educational institution authorities could not pay the salaries of their teachers and staffers for several months.
Saiful Islam Mamun, a teacher of Agrani Model School and College, told Bangladesh Post, “The government has taken a good decision. Teachers have not been paid for a long time. If the tuition fee is not collected, what will the teachers survive?”
Azmir Hossain, a teacher of Rajuk Uttara Model School and College, said, “It is a balanced decision. The government has taken both teachers and guardians aspects into consideration. According to these guidelines-- teachers will get salaries and guardians won’t have to pay the unnecessary fees. It won’t be a burden for them."
However, guardians are not fully satisfied through this notification. According to them, the government should specify the sectors from which tuition fees will be waived. Only then the guardians will be benefited, they added.
In this regard, President of the Guardians Unity Forum Ziaul Kabir Dulu said, “We did not want such instructions. We wanted 100 percent tuition fee waiver for those guardians who are in deep financial crisis. And those who are in moderate financial crisis will pay half of the tuition fees.”
About the guideline, Director General of DSHE Dr Syed Md Golam Faruk said, “We have to consider the difficulties and financial crisis of our guardians. On the other hand, we have to think about the educational institutions as well. Otherwise, these institutions may be closed or the teachers and employees of the educational institutions will be in a dire condition.”
He said, “All authorities concerned should about the continuation of study of their students. If any guardian falls into deep financial crisis the school authorities should take special consideration regarding their children's tuition fees.”
All the educational institutions remained shut since March 17. To recover the loss of education, the government introduced distance learning programme through Sangsad Television on March 29 for secondary students. Later, the government urged authorities of all educational institutions to conduct online classes.
