A student appearing in this year’s School Leaving Certificate (SLC) examinations from a school in Tanahun district was allegedly detained by his headmaster for 30 minutes for not paying the tuition owing to which he was late for Thursday’s test.

The student, Prawing Kunwar, of Dovan Boarding School in Kyamin VDC-1 said his headmaster Sikandar Gurung detained and reproached him for half an hour while his friends were already in the exam hall.

 “He barred me from entering the exam hall, saying that I had yet to pay Rs 8,500,” said Prawin.

Fifteen-year-old Prawin was finally allowed to sit for the test after his mother called Gurung and promised to pay the money.

Prawin has claimed that his headmaster is asking the money for extra classes that he never took.

His mother, Bimala, said Gurung had threatened to bar her son from the test a few days earlier. “I had not hoped that he would take such action,” she said.

Headmaster Gurung, meanwhile, said he was punishing Prawin for causing a ruckus at the school. He also claimed that reaching the exam hall 20 minutes late was not a big deal.

Krishna Hari Gaire, the superintendent at Kyamin Higher Secondary School exam centre, said Prawin was in tears when he arrived for the test on Thursday.

“He was unable to write for a long time, so we gave him five extra minutes,” Gaire said.“We later found out that he was held by his headmaster for failing to pay the fee.”