KARACHI, May 6: Parents of school-going children are under tremendous pressure at the beginning of the new academic session due to heavy fees being charged by private schools.

According to a survey, parents felt that education of their children was a burden on their shoulders. On the one hand they want to see a bright future for their children, but on the other they face problems in paying their high-rising monthly school fees.

A father of four children said that fees of his children had gone beyond his reach and he had to pay Rs800 per month for each child while his monthly income was only Rs8,500.

Another parent complained that the ever-rising fee had made it impossible to get their children educated in good schools. “We do not have to pay only their monthly school fees, but also their coaching fees, because of lack of time and difficult course studied in these schools. Expenses of their school courses and stationery are other than that.”

The survey said that different schools were charging different fees according to their standard, ranging between Rs500 and Rs3,000 per month per student and at the time of admission they get Rs6,000 to Rs50,000 per student in the form of donations.

Pakistan is a country where half of its population is uneducated and per capita income is one of the lowest in the world, said a mother, adding:

“How can parents provide better education to their children. Despite their limited resources they are compelled to send their children to these private schools as standard of education in government schools was poor.”

The government on one hand is claiming to take revolutionary steps for the better future of the country, but on the other the people are faced with such unfavourable conditions.

A number of private schools are increasing day by day in the city and the quality of education in government schools is deteriorating with the same speed.

“It seems that the government has failed to check fee hike by private schools which are minting money,” another mother maintained.

She was of the view that if the government was serious to spread education in the country it must take some positive and immediate steps in this regard.—PPI