5,095 students deprived of govt stipend for a year

As many as 5,095 students of 106 high schools in Chirirbandar upazila under the district have remained deprived of the government allocated stipend money since July last year.

The situation has badly affected study of a good number of students, especially the insolvent ones.

Laisur Rahman, a guardian of a student who passed the SSC examinations from Pilot High School in Chirirbandar upazila, said, "If my son got the stipend money in time, it would be helpful for me to bear the expenses for his admission to college."

"We could not purchase necessary study materials due to suspension of the stipend disbursement," said Al Amin, a Class IX student of Saitara High School in the upazila.

Headmasters of several affected high schools said most schools do not realise monthly tuition fees from the students but they need to pay other fees.

The fees have remained unpaid as most of the students are dependent on their stipend money for the purpose.

The situation has led to pressure on the fund of most schools, said the headmasters.

Under Secondary Education Stipend Project of the Directorate of Education, Class VI and VII students get Tk 600, VIII students Tk 720, IX students Tk 900 and Class X students Tk 2100 every six months, officials said.   

Contacted, Chirirbandar Upazila Education Officer Abu Sayed Md Mahfuz said, "The disbursement of the stipend money remained stopped as the project duration is over. Hopefully, the project along with disbursement of the stipend money will resume this month."