26 January 2004	Monday	03 Zilhaj 1424

KARACHI, Jan 25: Though new rules in line with the recently adopted changes to the Sindh Private Educational Institutions (Regulation and Control) Ordinance-2001 have not yet been made, some education department officials in towns are seeking a "premature action" on the part of private schools , say the sources.

A number of private schools' representatives have complained that since the passage of a bill pertaining to amendments in the 2001 ordinance in the Sindh Assembly last month, town officials have been visiting them for compliance of some amended clauses.

The Sindh education minister in early December introduced a bill seeking government role in fixation of the fee structures of private schools and payment of salaries to teachers. The ordinance did not prescribe any such role.

One office-bearer of a private school's management association says that officials have once again resorted to the old way of harassing schools on the ground of amendments. Schools claim that the visitors demand school records and other papers saying they have been sent by the highups to inspect the working of schools and other facilities in order to ascertain the rationale behind their existing fee structure.

"The officials have once again started using the amendments as a pressure tool against private schools. Sometimes we are invited by the officials to enter "peculiar dealings", said a private school owner.

When contacted, EDO Education Prof Muhammad Rais Alvi maintained that he or any other authority in the city government had not asked any body to visit private schools in connection with the fee structure and schools should accept any such demands and ask the visitors to show their identity and produce permission of the city government's education department.

To a question he said that as per the mechanism the amendments made in the ordinance would be enforced in the shape of rules which would be prepared and notified by the Sindh education department.

A source in the department said that they had not received any directives or provided with any set of new changes made in the 2001 ordinance. "How could the rules be framed and passed on to district government, unless the bill is accorded assent by the governor and then referred to the education department for implementation," the source wondered.