They also have to give special amounts to teachers for selection for junior scholarship examination while female students pay for getting sub-scholarship (upobritti).

These were revealed during investigation in Barisal by the Conscious Citizens' Committee (CCC) of Transparency International, Bangladesh (TIB).

The findings were presented by CCC member advocate Manabendra Batabayal at a press conference here yesterday.

The organisers said although district and divisional officials of the administration, education board and education directorate and leaders of teachers organisations were invited but none attend the program, the organisers said.

Barisal CCC members Nurjahan Begum, Mujtaba Mahbub Morshed, Mahfuz-Ul-Alam and TIB Programme Officer Khairul Bari explained the findings at the press conference.

The TIB survey covered students and secondary schools in 198 mahallas in 30 wards of Barisal city and 90 wards and 137 villages in 10 unions in 307.59 square kilometer area of Barisal Sadar upazila.

A total of 382 households in the city and 181 in 30 villages were interviewed.

Among the surveyed students, 58 per cent were female and 42 per cent male. Of them 14 per cent study in public and 86 per cent in private schools.

They acknowledged that National Flag is not hoisted and National Anthem is not sung regularly in their schools.

The survey revealed that at secondary level, each student of class six to ten at public schools have to pay on an average Tk 1116 a year under different heads while students in private schools pay Tk 1087.

Students of public schools pay Tk 362 a year as 'regular monthly fees', which is Tk 208 more than government approved monthly fees.

In private schools, students pay Tk 590 a year as 'regular monthly fees' which is also much more than the approved amount.

Eighty-two of the students and guardians alleged to the survey team that they have to pay 'special amounts' to teachers, especially to class teachers for selection for junior scholarship examination and getting sub-scholarship (upobritti), preserved for female students.

Some Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examinees alleged that they were forced to attend coaching classes run by school teachers and to pay Tk 661 per head as coaching fees and Tk 218 as practical examination fees on a average.

Fifty per cent guardians alleged they have to pay donation for admission of their wards to school.

Fifty-one per cent of the students surveyed alleged that teachers often disclose school examination questions in the name of suggestions.