Exam fees of wards of Aila victims exempted

12 December 2009, 17:00 PM

Staff Correspondent, Khulna

The Ministry of Education has instructed the authorities of Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Jessore, for exemption of fees for the 2010 SSC and HSC examinees from Aila-affected Dakope, Koira and Paikgachha upazilas of Khulna district. Prof Hafizur Rahman, chairman of Jessore education board, said he received the instruction from the education ministry on Friday. Earlier Jessore education board authorities submitted a report to the ministry asking for compensation for the financial loss to be incurred due to exemption of SSC and HSC examination fees for examinees of the three upazilas that were worst hit by cyclone Aila. In last month, examinees, their guardians and elected representatives of these three Aila-affected upazilas formed human chains demanding exemption of fees for the coming SSC and HSC examinations. Consequently, the Ministry of Education asked Jessore education boa to submit a report on the actual number of examinees from the Aila-hit upazilas and the figure of financial loss to be incurred due to exemption of examination fees. The board authorities are yet to determine the total number of Aila-affected examinees who would be provided with the exemption facility. Board sources, however, said they will have to incur financial loss of Tk 30 lakh due to the exemption of fees for SSC and HSC examinees in the three Aila-affected upazilas of Khulna. Prof Hafizur Rahman, chairman of Jessore education board, said lawmakers Nani Gopal Mandol and Sohrab Ali Sana elected from Khulna-1 (Dakope-Batiaghata) and Khulna-6 (Koira-Paikgachha) last month appealed in writing to the education ministry for exemption of SSC and HSC examination fees for candidates from Aila-hit Dakope, Koira and Paikgachha upazilas. Dr Mashiur Rahman, economic adviser to the prime minister, also made similar appeal to the education ministry while upazila nirbahi officers of Dakope, Koira and Paikgachha sent their reports to the education ministry about the demand of Aila-affected examinees and guardians.