Parents threaten legal action as Glenrich School defends steep fee rises

More than 500 parents at Glenrich International School have refused to pay tuition fees on schedule, accusing the capital’s leading English-medium school of breaching government rules by hiking charges by as much as 21% – more than double the legal ceiling.

According to the parents’ platform, the aggrieved parents – 556 in total – represent 704 students, out of around 3,000 students enrolled across the school’s two campuses.

The stand-off, now in its third week, has pushed aggrieved guardians towards the courts, with lawyers already consulted and a writ petition before the High Court under active consideration.

At the heart of the dispute is Article 19 of the Rules for Registration of Private Schools under Foreign Curriculum, 2017, which caps annual fee increases at English-medium schools at 10%. 

Glenrich insists it has stayed within that limit, capping year-on-year rises for students remaining in the same grade at 10%, and at just 5% for Grades 11 and 12.

But a Daily Sun analysis of the school’s fee lists from the 2021-22 to 2026-27 academic sessions tells a different story for pupils moving up a grade. Students promoted from Play to KG-1 face a 14.54% rise this year. 

The jump is 16.74% for those advancing from KG-1 to Grade 1, 16% from Grade 2 to Grade 3, 20.44% from Grade 4 to Grade 5, 13.61% from Grade 5 to Grade 6, 21.75% from Grade 7 to Grade 8, 11.01% from Grade 8 to Grade 9, and 21.4% for the move from Grade 10 to Grade 11.

Glenrich has rejected the parents’ figures outright, arguing that comparing fees across different grades is not the same as tracking genuine year-on-year increases within a single grade.  The school points to operating costs rising by 15%-18%, driven by inflation and higher electricity and fuel prices, and cites continued investment in robotics, STEM education and international academic partnerships as justification. It has described its fee structure as transparent and consistent with previous years.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, one parent said the Glenrich authorities appeared unwilling to address the issue, arguing that the justifications provided in the school’s email for the fee increase were unacceptable.

“The school cited rising fuel prices and operating costs, but parents already bear the cost of tuition, learning materials and other fees. Those explanations do not justify the additional financial burden placed on existing students,” the parent said.

The parent also expressed concern that, as the dispute remains unresolved, the school authorities might take adverse measures affecting their children.

Parents are unconvinced, and some fear the trajectory is unsustainable. “If this trend continues, by the time my daughter reaches Class X or XI, her annual tuition fees could exceed Tk6 lakh or Tk7 lakh. Such increases are simply unaffordable for middle-class families,” another parent said.

The parent argued that Glenrich is entitled to set higher fees for new admissions, since incoming families can weigh the cost before enrolling. Imposing steep annual rises on children already enrolled under an earlier fee structure, however, was a different matter altogether and, in the parent’s view, unfair.

Guardians also allege they were frozen out of the decision-making process. Although the Parents’ Forum emailed objections and requested talks, the school did not formally respond, choosing instead to correspond with parents individually while leaving many queries unanswered.  “The parents are deeply frustrated. If the issue is not resolved through dialogue, we will have no option but to seek legal remedy,” the parent said.

On 11 July, parents submitted a formal petition to STS Group Chief Executive Officer Manas Singh, seeking a review of the revised fee structure and an explanation of how it complied with the 2017 Rules.  

The petition also invoked a High Court order of 25 May 2017, which required English-medium schools to secure registration, form governing bodies with representation from guardians and teachers, and publish audited financial statements. 

Parents want a delegation of guardians included in future decisions on fee revisions.

Glenrich responded on 13 July, standing by its position and warning that seats not confirmed by the payment deadline could be reallocated to waitlisted students, since timely payment was essential for academic planning. 

Parents submitted a second letter to the school on 13 July, following the authorities’ initial response, raising further concerns, but say they received no reply.

Daily Sun contacted Manas Singh, CEO of STS Group’s educational initiatives in Bangladesh – which owns and operates Glenrich International School, by email on 22 July seeking the school’s latest position and a response to allegations that the fee hike breached government regulation, but had not received a reply by the time of publication.

In a separate message to parents on 23 July, STS Group Bangladesh chairman Bob Kundanmal struck a defiant note, saying the board remained committed to protecting the school’s governance, values and long-term vision and would not let any individual or group undermine its interests. 

He accused a small group of parents of spreading misinformation and damaging the institution’s reputation, and urged guardians to rely solely on official communications.

Glenrich International School is operated by the STS Group.