(Jan. 11, 2012) In Bangladesh, a court has asked education officials to take action
against private schools that are charging more than the government approved fee
.The order handed out on January 9 followed reports that some schools, including Catholic
establishments are charging as much as two or three times the government determined
fee of 5,000 taka (US$ 63). Prodip Rozario, spokesman of Holy Cross Girls School
at Tejgaon in central Dhaka said the school has been charging between 8,000-10,700
taka (US$ 100-134) depending on grades. He admitted they are charging more than the
government-approved amount but added that they have no option. He said “School expenses
are high these days and to facilitate students with computers and electric generators
we need to charge them extra.” Holy Cross brother Bijoy Rodrigues, principal at St.
Joseph’s School and College, defended his school’s stand on charging extra money.
“We charge 8,000 taka, little more than government-approved 5,000 taka. Considering
the cost of living and essentials it is nothing and government-approved fees are far
less than expenses in the school,” said Brother Rodrigues, secretary of Bangladesh
Catholic Education Board. He added that the government’s cap on fees came too late
for their school which had already decided what to charge.