ISLAMABAD: The federal government finally announced on Wednesday that there would be no increase in private school fee in the current academic year.

But how this decision will be implemented is yet to be seen.

A notification in this regard was issued by the Private Educational Institutions Regulatory Authority (PEIRA).

There is little indication that the notification will be accepted by private schools and with gaping differences between fee structures of different private schools, the government’s announcement does not explain how it will affect different schools at once. Private schools that are already charging a low fee will have to bear the same cut as those falling under the category of ‘exorbitant fees’.

The notification directed all private educational institutions to desist from increasing any fee, charges and funds in 2015. It said any increased amounts already charged would have to be adjusted in coming billing periods.

Talking to Dawn, heads of some private schools voiced their concerns on receiving the notification, saying they will be facing huge problems in the upcoming months.

Private school associations may challenge notification in court

The CEO of one such private school chain in Islamabad said, “We provide quality education, which is why parents enroll their kids in our schools. Every year we face increases in rent and teacher’s salaries. But the government is still directing us to charge last year’s fee.” He said private school owners were weighing options to challenge the notification in the court.

Zofran Elahi, President of the Private Schools Association (PSA) said private schools provided quality education and only those parents who could afford the fee enrolled their children in these institutions. He said only the schools where increased fee is the problem should have been asked to charge a decreased amount and that it was “injustice that all schools are being driven with one stick”.

Mr Elahi said the PSA was planning to challenge the notification in court. He said, “Otherwise, being a law abiding citizen we will have to follow this notification to the letter.”

Afzal Babur, president of the Private Schools Network, which represents low cost schools, said there should be an exemption for institutions charging low fees.

He said, “The notification should have exempted low-cost schools, which start their academic sessions in April. The fee hike issue was about some elite schools, which start their academic sessions in September and they charge a huge fee every month.

“The majority of low cost schools charge a fee ranging between Rs100 and Rs500 per month and they increased their fee in April.” He said now low-fee charging schools will have to adjust fees for the last six months in the upcoming billing periods and that there should not be a flat directive for all schools.

Secretary PEIRA, Javed Iqbal said the regulatory body followed the directive of the federal government. He said, “I agree, parents with children enrolled in elite private schools have raised the issue, but low-fee schools that raised their rates in April should have no problems re-adjusting the amounts in subsequent challans”.

The notification said the determining and fixing of fee rates charged by private schools will be regulated by PEIRA. But private schools have increased their rates without permission from the regulatory body.

PEIRA also stated that in case of default the registration of the schools concerned will be cancelled under Section 16 of the PEIRA Act, 2013.

Published in Dawn, September 24th , 2015

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