KARACHI: Action ordered against schools seeking donations
KARACHI, March 16: The Sindh Education Department has taken serious notice of the reports that privately-managed educational institutions are exerting pressure on parents for the payment of donations for their development projects in violation of the ordinance recently promulgated to regulate such institutions.
The department through a circular sent to all the Nazims, District Coordination Officers and Executive District Officers (Education) of the province has asked them to take action against the institutions violating the ordinance, a top official of the department said.
Referring to the reports that private institutions were demanding compulsory donation from the parents of students, the circular said this practice was against the government rules. Besides, it put a heavy burden on the parents. The ordinance clearly states that “No donation from a student/parent, voluntarily or otherwise, for development projects of institution shall be permissible”.
These instructions were issued after it was brought to the notice of the authorities that the management of a privately-managed school through a letter had asked the parents of its students to pay Rs35,000 each for the purchase of a bungalow in Clifton.
Some of the parents also have sent a petition to the secretary for education complaining against the pressure being put by the school management in this respect.
Parents say there are 1,500 students enrolled in the school and by charging Rs35,000 from each student the school management would earn Rs52 million though it had already charged Rs7,500 as security deposit from each student last year. In addition, they also charge Rs50 per month from each student for the drinking water.
After receiving a copy of the letter and petition of the parents, the education department has called for an explanation from the school management.
In a letter addressed to the school management, the department stated that its circular clearly imposed a heavy burden on the pockets of the parents who had approached the department and accordingly the department had substantial grounds to ask you for justifying the demand.
The department further stated that the children admitted on merit not necessarily belonged to financially sound families who could afford to pay such a big amount. All the facilities, physical or academic, are to be provided by the school management and it was after that they could charge fee for it.
“It seems that parents are being asked to develop physical facilities for their children and again be ready for payment of fee without any discount or concession,” the official letter remarked.—PPI
