KARACHI, May 13: The parents of students have generally expressed their unhappiness about privately managed schools, majority of which care little about rules and resort to make undue demands, particularly during the admission season. While faced with many problems, parents claimed that the Sindh Education Department, which had come up with some relief for them, after a long time, had badly failed to get its orders implemented, while private schools continue fleecing students and their parents.
Be it the collection of tuition fees in advance, observance of the new academic session, measures by the private managements were a mockery of government rules, said a parent, perturbed over the demand by schools that fees of summer vacations be paid in advance, otherwise students would either not be allowed to sit in exams or their results would be withheld.
In March, the Sindh Education Department had in a clear tone informed private schools not to charge fees under any head as advance fees, and charge monthly fees up to the 10th of every month without charging any late fees. However, most private schools were fearlessly collecting fees in advance.
The managements of private schools are more resourceful than the parents, parents observed.
Both, school managements and education officials of the city or provincial education departments have failed to satisfy parents in this regard.
Schools unabatedly go for unilateral 20 to 40 per cent increase in tuition fees every year, in addition to extorting amounts from students under various heads, said a parent, saying such uncalled for demands had made them think whether regulating authorities ever existed.
The seriousness of the government about the plight of parents and students could be gauged from the fact that a draft of rules pertaining to private schools had not yet returned from the CM’s House even after four months.
The draft was still awaiting approval of competent authorities for any implementation, observed another parent.
Interestingly, the All Private Schools Management Association Sindh (APSMAS) on Friday said students, who failed to pay fees for June and July in advance, before going on summer vacations, would not be issued examination results nor would they be allowed to sit in the next classes.
When contacted, the Additional Secretary (Academics and Training), Dr Mehboob Sheikh, said the statement by the APSMAS was uncalled for, as the management body had in a meeting held in March agreed upon the idea of eliminating advance collection of fees from students.
He said the department would take severe action against schools collecting fees in advance from students.
This could even lead to suspension of registration of the school in question. He said private schools had been asked to furnish their annual audit reports to the department, while the educational board.
