ISLAMABAD: Scores of parents of children, who study in private schools, on Saturday held a walk in Blue Area to create awareness against the sudden increase in the fees.

Last month, some of the private schools suddenly increased their fees. One private school increased the fee by up to 18 per cent even though inflation rate remained between five and seven per cent.

Some parents filed complaints with the offices concerned and also held protests against the fee hike.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif took notice of the issue and ordered the Ministry of Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) to address the issue. On the other hand, some of the schools approached the Islamabad High Court and sought a stay order.

The participants of the walk chanted slogans against the sudden fee increase and said though they had admitted their children to private schools because government schools could not provide quality education, the private schools were now operating like a ‘mafia’.

They said almost half of the students in the federal capital were admitted to private schools, adding the Private Educational Institutions Regulatory Authority (PEIRA) should take notice of the issue.

One of the participants, Aliya Aga, told Dawn that the walk was held to create public awareness.

“So far over 100 complaints have been filed by parents with PEIRA due to which the ministry of CADD has decided to hold a consultation workshop with parents and devise a strategy to resolve the issue once and for all,” she said.

“We just want to ensure that there should be some formula for the fee increase and checks by the government because some of the schools have declared themselves nonprofit-oriented organisations but made education a business,” she said.

Minister of State for Capital Administration and Development Division Barrister Usman Ibrahim on Friday also held a meeting with the parents and discussed the issue.

He said on the directions of the prime minister, a special cell had been set up at PEIRA to ensure the compliance of the prime minister’s instructions to the private schools not to increase the fee.

The minister also said CADD would hold a day-long consultative workshop on ‘Fee determination and quality of education parameters’ on October 20.

The objective of the workshop is to consolidate public opinion, especially that of the parents, so that CADD can develop comprehensives parameters to ensure the quality of education and determine the fee.

Published in Dawn, October 18th, 2015

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