CHATTOGRAM: Escalation in cost of education materials as well as the admission fees of schools has turned out to be a worrying issue for the port city students and their guardians this year.
Prices of education materials have marked a sharp rise in recent time here, much to the concern of the guardians.
Besides, authorities of the schools have raised the admission fees and other fees as well in the New Year (2023), going against the government directive.
Sources said on the back of the price hike of papers in the last several months
, the Bangladesh Book Publishers Association has increased the prices of books by 27 per cent than the previous year.
Besides, prices of khata (notebooks) and other educational materials have also been increased at the same time.
Moreover, the schools in the port city have also started realising higher fees for admission to new classes in the New Year, forcing the guardians to count additional cost for education of their children.
Kamal Ahamed, a book shop owner at Anderkillah in the port city, told The Financial Express that the prices of books, khatas and other educational materials have been increased creating frustration for the city dwellers.
He said, "Shortage of papers in the markets and price hike of papers are the prime causes of price hike of books and khatas."
Farid Uddin, another book shop owner at Anderkillah, said, "The books which we sold at the price of Tk 400 to 500 last year are now selling at Tk 600 to 700. As the printing cost of books and price of papers, binders etc have been hiked in the New Year, we have to sell books and khatas at higher prices."
Ratan Barua, a guardian, said the schools are demanding Tk5,000 as admission fee and Tk3,000 as session fee as against Tk3,000 and Tk2,000 respectively last year.
Though the government fixed the admission fees for private schools, the school authorities are taking additional fees in the name of various other fees including development fees, he added.
Consequently, guardians of several thousand students who are to enroll in new classes are bracing themselves for big troubles. Particularly, the guardians belonging to the middle class will have to bear the biggest brunt.
Saifuddin Khaled, a private service holder, said his three children are in school.
"How can I manage the cost of education of my children as my salary is not increasing. Unfortunately, prices of educational materials have hiked now," he added.
Asma Akter, a guardian of a student of a private school, said the school authorities are realising higher fees for readmission to new classes.
She said, "Amid the high cost of educational materials, the school authorities are taking additional fees for admission to new class in the New Year."
Deputy Minister for Education Barrister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury said, "We fixed admission fees for private schools. The schools cannot take readmission fees, development fees or such other fees. If any school takes additional money, their MPO will be cancelled."
Visiting Anderkillah area, this correspondent observed that owners of book shops were preparing to sell new books in the New Year.
Many guardians were buying khatas and other educational materials including bags, shoes etc at relatively higher prices for their children.
It may be mentioned, the government provides free text books to the students on the first day of the New Year.
The schools incorporate many other books along with the board books and the publishers hike the prices of their books on their own.
