LAHORE: The Punjab schools and education department on Thursday told the Lahore High Court that all chief executive officers of districts had been directed to ensure implementation of a Supreme Court judgment about excessive fee charged by private schools.

“All CEOs have been directed to strictly enforce these orders in their jurisdiction and there shall be no deviation, digression or delay in this regard,” said a report filed by secretary schools education Muhammad Mahmood before Justice Sajid Mahmood Sethi.

The report further said the CEOs had also been ordered to set up immediately a complaint cell and immediately convene meetings of respective district registering authorities (DRA).

It said the CEOs had been directed to instruct private schools to provide their latest fee voucher to know if the private schools were adhering to the law.

“In case of default or complaint, immediate and stern action shall be initiated by DRAs against the defaulter private school under intimation to the office of secretary schools education department,” the report said. It said the authorities will ensure that children’s right to education guaranteed under Article 25-A of the Constitution was not infringed upon by anyone and their education should not be disturbed due to any reason and under any circumstances.

After going through the report, the judge reserved verdict on the petition.

Earlier, Advocate Abdullah Malik appeared on behalf of the petitioner and said the private schools had become an industry and they were only interested in filling their pockets making the quality education a luxury.

He said it was the responsibility of the state to protect the fundamental rights of its citizens and education was indeed a fundamental right. He submitted that profits accumulated by private institutions were unreasonable and the state had to act as the regulator to protect the right of its citizens.

The lawyer pointed out that the SC in its decision ordered for reduction in fees by 20 per cent ceased to be effective, subject to recalculation of fee by using fee prevailing in 2017 as the base fee in accordance with Punjab Private Educational Institutions (Promotion and Regulation) (Amendment) Act, 2017.

He complained that the government had failed to enforce the judgement leading to miseries of the parents.

Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2019