PABSON defends fee hike; wants govt to scrap education tax

The Private and Boarding Schools Organisation of Nepal (PABSON) has defended the recent hike in student fee, making it clear that there will be no scrapping of the new fee structure that has already come into effect.Speaking at a press conference in the capital Wednesday, PABSON chairman Rajesh Khadka said that private schools were compelled to increase the fees in view of rising inflation and the hike in the salary of government employees.
The PABSON chief also complained about the one percent education tax levied by the government on private education. He said most of the private schools are on the verge of total bankruptcy.
Mentioning that the government had agreed to revoke the tax within this fiscal year, Khadka said the PABSON would launch agitations if the government didn't fulfill the understanding.
Meanwhile, the PABSON has demanded that the Maoist-aligned All Nepal National Independent Students Union-Revolutionary (ANNISU-R) immediately open the schools locked by it in protest against the fee hike.
The Maoist student wing has padlocked a number of private boarding schools around the country, demanding immediate withdrawal of the 'unjustifiable' fee hike.
The private schools have already started charging up to 25 percent added fee from the new academic session.