Staff Correspondent

Many colleges across the country are allegedly levying excess fees on examinees for their appearance in the test examinations ahead of the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examinations.

Besides, at many institutions, much higher fees than the government-fixed rates are being charged from the candidates for filling up their HSC examination forms.levying excess fees

In this situation, the education ministry recently announced that stern action would be taken against those involved in charging extra fees from the SSC and HSC candidates, according to a circular issued by the ministry.

As per the notice, no college can charge additional fees from any examinee for his or her participation in the test exams ahead of the HSC examinations. Moreover, they are also strictly prohibited from charging any extra fee from students for filling up HSC examination forms.

If this order is breached, stern action will be taken against the involved persons, the ministry circular read.

Sources at the education boards said the government has fixed the HSC form-filling up fee for humanities and commerce students at Tk2,120, while for science students the fee is fixed at Tk2,680.

Besides, another Tk140 or Tk280 could be charged from the candidates of the humanities and commerce groups in case of their practical exams and the number of the exams. But, the fact is that many colleges are allegedly collecting extra money from the examinees by showing various sectors of costs including model test, GPA improvement fees, and preparatory course security deposit.

Even, at some institutions, the admit cards of examinees are not being provided to the examinees if additional fees are not paid by them.