With HSC exams for the 2022-2023 academic year scheduled to begin on 30 June, marking the official end of classes, many colleges are sparking outrage by demanding tuition fees from students well into July and August.
This comes despite a lack of educational activities during this period, and parents are questioning the validity of these additional charges.
Insiders in and outside Dhaka say colleges collect fees until June, including the test exam fee. With exams starting on 30 June, college authorities continue collecting fees until then.
A notice from the Dhaka Education Board published on 21 March allows colleges to collect fees until August for “form fill-up”, and many are taking advantage of this by collecting fees for July and August, they added.
According to the board’s directive, notices have already been issued to individual colleges to pay fees for July and August.
These notices also instruct the settlement of all types of dues from students. This means that extra fees for the two months during the exam are also charged.
As per the boards’ instructions, the HSC exam form fill-up at colleges started on 16 April, ending on 25 April and late fees apply from 29 April to 2 May.
The boards have also outlined different fees for Science, Commerce, and Humanities disciplines. All institutions must follow these guidelines, including collecting tuition fees from HSC candidates until August.
Parents say there are no classes or educational activities at colleges after the test exams held in February. Even after the test exams, institutions charge separate fees for coaching until the board exams. Alongside the board-mandated fees, extra money is collected for model tests, GPA improvement fees, preparatory courses, and various other expenses.
“Fees are being increased for two months until August. Every year, some extra fees are taken. The education boards take no action on this matter. Instead, the boards encourage clarity in fee collection through its directives,” they added.
Delowar Hossain, a guardian of a student at Viqarunnisa Noon School & College’s Azimpur branch, told the Daily Sun, “My daughter will participate in the HSC exams this year from the Humanities discipline. Even though classes are not being held during the exams, fees are still being charged. It is understood from the authorities that these fees are being collected in compliance with the board’s directives.”
Husain Al Mamun, a parent of a student at University Laboratory School & College, said, “This time, HSC students are getting much less time, and they are studying less. However, they are being charged higher fees for two months. Additionally, various fees are being taken under different names.”
This year, the HSC and equivalent exams will begin on 30 June. The exams for the Science, Commerce, and Humanities disciplines will end on 11 August. Practical exams will continue from 12 to 21 August.
Students from the 2022-23 academic year will take the HSC exams in 2024. They began their eleventh-grade classes in February 2023. Despite the typical two-year duration, this time they face exams after just one year and five months.
The COVID-19 pandemic since 2020 has disrupted the HSC schedule. Traditionally, HSC exams began on 1 April, but in recent years, exams couldn’t proceed as planned.
According to college chiefs, to adjust for the delays, teaching time is being shortened by condensing the syllabus, resulting in students facing exams within a year and a half.
However, institutions are increasing fees for a few months to cover their expenses, but they cannot charge as much as they want.
Principal Jahura Begum of Udayan Higher Secondary School said, the directive regarding fees from the boards are what we follow. Usually, we take fees for two years from the students at the time of admission. Before the boards’ directives, we had taken fees from the students until June. After receiving the directive, we are extending fees for another two months.
Speaking to the Daily Sun, Dhaka Education Board Chairman Prof Tapon Kumar Sarkar, said, “Usually, we take fees from HSC students for two years. Since students are not getting as much time this year, we have decided to take fees until August. Even though classes may not be held in July and August, exams will take place. Therefore, the directive to take fees has been given. There is no room for confusion here.”