KARACHI: As the Sindh High Court (SHC) restrained private educational institutions from raising their fee by more than five per cent, the education ministry on Thursday ordered relevant authorities to ensure that the court orders were fully complied with, officials said.

Headed by Chief Justice Ahmed Ali M. Shaikh, a two-judge bench of the SHC on Wednesday restrained the private schools from raising their fee by more than five per cent until final orders.

The bench gave the directives on a constitutional petition jointly filed by parents of children studying in different private schools against the school managements for increasing fee in violation of the rules and regulations.

“The directorate general of private institutions of the education ministry should ensure that the court orders are duly implemented,” said Sindh Minister for Education and Literacy Jam Mehtab Dahar while presiding over a meeting to discuss the issue after the court’s order.

“You should ensure that the order of the honourable court regarding fee hike by private educational institutions is duly implemented,” said the minister.

Mr Dahar said his ministry was there to protect the rights of parents and students.

The meeting discussed the matter at length. In the case, the petitioner parents submitted that the school managements could not increase the fee by more than five per cent in an academic year under the existing rules and regulations. However, they said, some private schools increased the fee by more than 10pc in violation of the rules.

The education minister said the provincial government acknowledged the role of private sector in imparting education in society.

However, he added, “We could not allow them to create problems for parents and students.”

Govt teachers working for private schools

The issue of teachers employed with government-run schools, who also teach in private schools also came under discussion. Officials said the longstanding issue should be resolved once and for all.

Minister Dahar said the public sector teachers had not been allowed to teach in private educational institutions for which government had a clear standard procedure that should be followed.

“If they [teachers in government-run schools] are found violating these rules, they would be taken to task,” he warned.

He asked the officials concerned to hold awareness seminars and workshops on the government rules vis-à-vis private educational institutions in all big cities of Sindh.

“All schools in general and college administrations in particular should hire teaching staff as per the criteria fixed by the government,” he said.

Director general for private institutions Dr Mansoob Siddiqui and other senior officials attended the meeting.

Published in Dawn, September 22nd, 2017