Around 300 candidates of Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examination from Udayan Secondary High School under the supervision of Dhaka University (DU) have been asked to pay model test fees though the government prohibited collection of any fees other than form fill-up fees.
Each student is required to pay Tk 3000 for the ongoing model tests.
However, the school authorities did not issue any formal notice, but teachers verbally asked students at classrooms to pay the additional fees.
Several students told the Daily Observer, that the school was collecting model test fee without issuing any formal notice.
The model tests will end on June 9, said HSC candidates of Udayan School.
They said that many students already paid the fees to their respective class teachers. They did not give us any money receipts, the students added.
A guardian said, "The school authorities did not issue any notice and teachers asked students to pay the fees verbally in classrooms so that they can deceive the government. This is unjust."
A notice issued by the Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board, Dhaka on March 21 stated that for the development of students, educational institutions can hold subject-wise model tests.
The notification stated that attending the model is not mandatory for any candidate and no institution can collect additional fees in the name of model tests.
Principal Jahura Begum acknowledged that teachers of the school have been collecting model tests fees.
However, she claimed that the amount is less than Tk 3,000.
She declined to disclose the amount and requested this correspondent to meet her at office. She defended the collection of additional fees saying that the financial transaction was not done by the institution. Rather it was a negotiation among students, guardians and the teachers.
"Teachers are making wholehearted efforts for the betterment of our students. Paper prices have been increased. A few educational institution has the credit of 100 per cent pas rate in HSC examination in the capital. We are one of them. So fees being collected by teachers are very nominal," said Jahura.
Despite several calls via WhatsApp, this correspondent could not reach school Governing Body Chairman and also Dhaka University Vice Chancellor Prof ASM Maksud Kamal for his comments on the issue.
HSC examinations begins on June 30.
