KARACHI, May 28: The Sindh High Court adjourned the hearing of a petition filed by private schools challenging validity of certain provisions of the Sindh Private Educational Institutions, 2001 as counsel for the education department sought time for filing a memo of appearance.

SHC’s division bench, comprising Justice Attaur Rehman and Justice Syed Ali Aslam Jaffery, meanwhile, ordered that no coercive action be taken against the petitioners.

The petition, moved by Beaconhouse School System through Barristers Kamaluddin Azfar and Abid S Zuberi, submitted that the impugned provisions imposed unreasonable restrictions on private educational institutions in respect of curricula, infrastructure, fee structure, teachers pay scales and allowances, scholarship etc.

It said provisions stipulating that private school’s curricula should at least be at par with the curriculum approved by the government for its schools and institutions was patently absurd and unreasonable as government schools prepare their students for matriculation examination while most of private schools have switched to O and A level examination under the Cambridge system.

It was submitted although all petitioners that the schools met the infrastructure requirement prescribed by another provision of the 2001 Ordinance, so it was not possible to provide the same level of facilities by schools housed in residential purposes.

The provision of laboratory for nursery, junior and primary schools was superfluous as lab work was not a part of the science curriculum at that stage, the petition mentioned.

Yet another provision of the Ordinance, the petition contended, conferred unfettered and unlimited discretion on government to prescribe the fee structure. There was no objective criterion and some government officials exercised their authority for personal advantages.

Meanwhile, Justice Amir Hani Muslim of Sindh High Court accepting charge-sheet against two alleged kidnappers sent their case to the ATC for trial.

Mohammad Akram and Gul Hasan Brohi are charged with kidnapping Zakirur Rehman and his son Asadullah for ransom on Oct 15, 2004, from Kalakot.—PPI