Prominent schools under ACC scanner

Managements of a number of well-known primary and secondary schools have become worried as those educational institutions are coming under the Anti-Corruption Commi-ssion (ACC) scanner. According to ACC decision, 15 well-known primary and secondary schools are facing inquiry by the ACC as those instructions are allegedly involved in corruption and other irregularities in student enrolment.

The schools include Motijheel Government Boys' High School, Ideal School and College, Viqarunnisa Noon School and College, Willes Little Flower School and College, Udayan Higher Secondary School, Gove-rnment Laboratory High School, Holy Cross Girls' High School, Dhanmondi Government Boys' High School, Mohammadpur Preparatory High School, Saint Joseph Higher Secondary School, Dhaka Residential Model College, Azimpur Government Girls' School and College, Agrani Girls' School and College, Monipur High School and College and Rajuk Uttara Model School and College.

In recent time, the ACC has sent notices to those school managements asking them to send all the admissions-related documents to the Commission. Dr Iftekharuzzaman, Exe-cutive Director of Trans-parency International  Bangladesh (TIB), has said people want to see the commission's strong position considering the level of corruption in educational institutions. He said the decision of the ACC on prominent schools might help people get relief from paying hefty sums to get their children admitted to schools.

He also recommended a cleanup drive within the commission itself to make the move more fruitful. Forhad Hossain, principal of Monipur High School and College, said, "We welcome the ACC initiative as the commission has taken steps to identify corruption in a number of prominent primary and secondary schools." He said, for the ACC initiative we are not worried as we do not have any corruption and other irregularities over student enrolment.

He also said after getting ACC notice they had already given reply to the commission. An official of the ACC said several times they had received a number of allegations against well-known schools and colleges in the city as the educational institutions were engaged with corruption. He further said the ACC had received specific complaints of corruption and other irregularities over student enrolment against them.

In 2012, the High Court asked the government to explain why it would not take action against the schools found collecting hefty fees from students. The court also gave the order after hearing a writ petition filed by Campaign for Popular Education Executive Director Rasheda K Choudhury, and Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust Deputy Director Farida Yasmin. The petitioners drew the court's attention to the fact that all private schools in the capital were charging hefty fees ranging from Tk 8,000 to Tk 25,000 violating the government guidelines.