ISLAMABAD: A Senate functional committee was on Monday informed by Private Educational Institutions Regulatory Authority (Peira) that Islamabad-based schools are supposed to collect fee on a monthly basis.

The special committee formed to provide a mechanism for implementation of the recommendations of committees of the upper house met at Parliament House with Senator Dilawar Khan in the chair.

The meeting was told by Peira in writing that private schools cannot charge summer fees together.

The meeting was held to take up an agenda item ‘Point of public importance regarding charge of holidays fee by private educational institutions’ raised by Senator Manzoor Ahmed Kakar in the Senate on April 26.

However, due to absence of the mover, the meeting did not discuss the agenda item.

The committee also takes up point of public importance on problems being faced by expats in biometric verification in banks

A working paper submitted by Peira to the committee stated that there was no direction from the Supreme Court restraining the private schools from charging fees of summer holidays 2019 and onwards.

“However, keeping in view the economic position of parents, private schools have been directed by the authority to charge fee of entire academic session of 12 calendar months, including the summer holidays, on a monthly basis,” read the paper.

“Notwithstanding the above, in case of any direction from the committee/Senate on account of relief to parents with regard to fees of summer holidays 2019, same shall be communicated to private schools of Islamabad accordingly for compliance,” it added.

The committee did not discuss the working paper of Peira and decided that the matter would be taken up at its next meeting.

Earlier, the committee while discussing the issue of Bachelor in Eastern Medicine and System said those who hold this degree cannot be treated equivalent to the MBBS degree holders. The holders of this degree are supposed to practice only Tibb.

The committee was told that there was a degree of Bachelor in Eastern Medicine and System (BEMS). However, in 2014 it was unofficially written as Bachelor in Eastern Medicine and Surgery. But a new notification has been issued which replaced the word ‘surgery’ with system.

The committee also took up a point of public importance raised by Senator Sajjad Hussain Turi regarding problems being faced by expatriates due to the biometric system in banks.

The committee recommended that expatriate disabled persons and senior citizens should be given exemption from biometric verification of their bank accounts.

The committee decided that the matter would be taken up at its next meeting.

Published in Dawn, June 25th, 2019