PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Private Schools Regulatory Authority on Tuesday stopped privately-owned educational institutions in the province from increasing annual and tuition fees until a uniform fee policy is formulated and enforced.

The private schools were also asked not to charge more than half of the tuition fee from the second and third children of the same parents.

“The institutions shall not charge more than half of the tuition fee from second and third children of the same parents (kinship) as per judgment of the Peshawar High Court,” said a circular issued by the PSRA to the media.

Educational institutions also asked not to charge more than half of tuition fee from second, third children of same parents

It also said the PSRA was formulating uniform policy for fee, including annual and tuition fees, and until that was made and enforced, there would be a complete ban on any increase in the annual and tuition fees.

An official of the PSRA told Dawn that the authority recently approved regulations for the private educational institutions.

These regulations were notified and uploaded on www.kpese.gov.pk.

The PSRA asked all private schools, including kindergartens, tuition academy or centres, primary, middle, high, higher secondary schools, or an institution of equivalent level imparting education, to ensure strict compliance with the regulations in letter and spirit in addition to the high court’s judgment announced on Nov 8, 2017.

According to the circular, no institution/management of private schools shall charge the tuition fee during vacations.

However, keeping in view of the expenditures like salaries, utility bills and rent etc, the management will be at liberty to charge a maximum of 50% of tuition fee in addition to the annual charges being made.

“There shall be complete ban on charging students for transport charges during vacations. The Peshawar High Court has authorised/directed the traffic police department, to de-board any student of any private

institution who is hanging outside any private vehicle and shall charge the class teacher, school principal and the owner of the school.

“Likewise, the in-charge police station of each locality where the school located is authorized to register a case against the school administration/principal, who violates the judgment and charge the extra than the annual fee and transport fee etc.”

The PSRA asked all private schools to ensure give transport-related instructions/guidance to the students in light of the court’s judgment.

“All private institutions shall abide by the regulations of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Safe Food and Halal Food Authority regarding canteens even inside the premises of institutions, with weekly inspection of the food item by the competent food inspector etc. with complete ban on outside items,” it said in the circular.

Published in Dawn, April 11th, 2018