While education up to the secondary level is officially free, certain distinguished schools, like Tribhuvan Adarsh Model Secondary School in Putlibazar Municipality-1, impose arbitrary fees using various justifications. With 1,350 students, this school affiliated with the District Administration Office charges an additional Rs.1,000 on top of the Rs.400 registration fee for the secondary education examination and Rs.2,000 for the certificate.
The institution, providing education in both Nepali and English mediums, enforces a monthly fee of Rs.300 for class 4 students and Rs.600 for class 10 students. The school's principal, Mukti Prasad Regmi, cites financial constraints as the reason for levying these fees, emphasizing that it was a collective decision with parents to sustain the school.
Despite having only 29 teacher positions, the school currently employs 68 teachers, a situation acknowledged by Regmi as not legally compliant. However, the fees were instituted to address the financial challenges faced by the school. Similarly, Dahathum Secondary School in Bhirkot Municipality charges Rs.6,000 for the certificate issued post the secondary education examination, under the interim leadership of Shyamkaji Adhikari, the acting chairman this month.
Expressing concern, Adhikari noted that students who have successfully passed the Secondary Education Examination (SEE) are burdened with additional fees to continue studying in their own schools, thereby limiting access for economically disadvantaged students.
