Apropos the letter ‘Private schools’ (Oct 8). The writer has sympathised with private school owners. She feels great pain that parents call this group of exploiters a mafia, but has not talked about the misery of the parents who send their children to private schools while struggling to make both ends meet.

She asks if it is a mafia, why should parents send their children to these schools? The answer is simple. Being in a pathetic shape, government-run schools are obviously incapable of providing quality education.

On the other hand, prestigious schools run by minorities, missionary schools and top-class institutions like Lawrence College and Aitchison College, have limited seats and tough competition for admission. In this scenario, these so-called money-minting elite schools are the obvious option but for those who pay hefty amount as fee.

The letter writer has tried to give parental protests a twist by claiming that it is tantamount to an affront to teachers. This unjustified hike in the tuition fee by private schools is the reason for the protest. How could it be an affront to teachers, who are also a victim of exploitation by this school mafia as they are not paid what a mason earns a month.

Jamshaid Ahmad
Karachi

Published in Dawn, October 11th, 2015

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