A court has asked education officials to take action against private schools that charge over the odds for tuition.

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 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.

“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.