KARACHI: Most private schools still demanding advance fee
By Mukhtar Alam
KARACHI, Feb 8: Delay in the issuance of a notification by the Sindh education department on the issue of advance collection of fee has now started adding to the problems of students of the privately managed schools in the city, said academic circles.
It was learnt that many of the private schools, which had been demanding of the parents to pay monthly tuition fee of their wards in advance, along with the dues of January, February and March, were now turning inflexible on the subject.
They have now started withholding results pertaining to periodic school tests and told the parents that the payment of school fees for the months of June, July and August in advance was a must, a number of parents told Dawn on Tuesday.
According to parents, the demand was illogical and also negated a standing order of the education department, the private school staff gave a deaf ear and threatened that if parents were not ready to pay tuition fees in advance as per schedule given by them then their wards would have to face the music.
We have informed the officials of the education department as well about the indifferent attitude of the private schools on the matter of advance collection of fee and other related issues, but are failing to get any justice, as usual, noted a couple of parents.
Be it the collection of tuition fees in advance, observance of new academic session, private management’s measures were a mockery of the government rules, said a parent perturbed over the demand that fees of summer vacation months should be paid in advance, otherwise the students be either deprived of examination or his result would be withheld.
Parents urged the education department to take appropriate steps at the earliest, as any further delay in the matter could ultimately affect the students and parents.
Under the rules, private school management is also required to constitute a parent-teacher association with representatives of teachers, parents and management, which is almost being ignored, commented a parent and demanded for the formation of such associations in every school at the earliest.
It was further learnt that many of the parents who were considering shifting their wards from one school to another also opposed the demands of advance payment of fee of June, July and August.
According to them, as per the decisions of the education department results of final examinations of classes I to VIII would be released by May 31 this time and as such they would be in a position to decide about transfer of their son or daughter only in June or after, while admissions would be finalized literally at the beginning of the new academic session, ie on Aug 16, 2006.
While the new session is due to commence in August, a demand for advance payment of fee would certainly be overburdening the parents.
In some cases, if the advance payment phenomenon is not checked parents would have to pay fee of June and July at the old and the new school as well, they feared.
In the meantime, when contacted a spokesman for Sindh education minister said that the education minister had taken very serious note of the complaints regarding the advance collection of fees by some private schools in Karachi.
Dr Khuhro on Tuesday had instructed the director private schools, education department, to take cognizance of situation and report to her immediately, the spokesman added, hoping that things would be finalized when the offices reopened after Ashura vacation.
An official in the private school directorate said that private educational institutions would have to follow the government approved curricula, admission policy and fee structure.
According to sources, the Sindh education secretary was also of the view that a previous notification on the subject of advance collection fees should be notified again and enforced in letter and spirit.
However, a final action was linked to the recovery of a relevant file, which the staff concerned had been “failing to locate” for the last couple of weeks, the source added.
