August 30, 2008	Saturday	Sha'aban 27, 1429

KARACHI, Aug 29: It appears as if the privately-managed schools, both registered and unregistered, want to leave no stone unturned to mint more and more money on one pretext or the other.

Most of these schools have been fleecing parents in various manners like their demand for the illegal fee called ‘annual charges’ and the list goes on. This time, however, a number of schools have come up with yet another novel idea to mint money by providing students with textbooks on an annual rental basis.

According to circulars issued by various private schools, all books with a black rental stamp inside will be issued to students for an academic year and the students will be required to return the books in good condition and without any marks at the end of the session, otherwise parents will be charged double the amount of the original price of the book.

Though the system apparently sounds good, the conditions set for the provision of books on a rental basis is so harassing for the students that they are reluctant to avail the facility merely because of fear that in case the books are lost or damaged, their parents will have to pay double the amount of the original price.

A number of parents asked as to how any school could compel its students to get the books on a rental basis. They were of the view that it would not be possible for their children to maintain those books in order throughout the year without leaving even a single mark.

According to them, the circular through which the system has been introduced has mentioned the following conditions:

a) if any book is lost or damaged, replacement has to be done or double the amount of the original price will have to be paid,

b) if the child is discontinuing with the school, he/she has to return all the rental books in order for receiving a school-leaving certificate,

c) no marks should be made by the students on any part of the book,

d) any mark on the books will be taken as damage to the books, for which the student will be liable to be penalised,

e) and students should write their names and class only on the paper pasted on the book’s cover and not on the books.

Most of the parents expressing their reservations over the system said that it was very difficult for their children to keep their books intact the entire year. They said that above all no school had the right to compel its students to obtain books on a rental basis.

“Isn’t it too much to expect from our children that they must keep the books in a good condition and that too without any mark on them for one year,” remarked another parent.

Most of the parents criticised the relevant officials of the Sindh education department’s directorate of private institutions. They were of the view that based on their earlier experiences; it would be useless to expect any assistance in this regard from the relevant officials.

A perturbed parent said that beyond any shadow of doubt this newly-imposed system was nothing but another way to fleece the masses but there was no one to pay heed to public complaints.