A NUMBER of private schools in Karachi have once again started charging the summer vacation (June and July) fee in advance along with January and February fees.

Besides the regular monthly fee, they also demand the so-called ‘annual charges’ and threaten parents to pay it in a given period of time, otherwise their children will either not be allowed to sit the annual examinations or their examination results will be withheld.

This practice was stopped in September last year after court orders.

The Sindh chief secretary and the directorate of private educational institutions have recently announced the annual charges illegal. They argue that there was no provision for such a fee in the Sindh Private Education Institutions (Regulation and Control) Ordinance 2001 and (Amended) Act 2003 and Rules 2005.

However, schools managements continue to harass parents, forcing them to deposit the fee.

This is all despite fact that the Supreme Court and the Sindh High Court have directed schools not to include hidden charges in fee vouchers except the monthly tuition fee. It appears that there is no authority and institution in Sindh to stop such unlawful activities.

The directorate of private educational institutions, Sindh, is responsible for overseeing all matters related to private education institutions, but it seems it supports the wrong side. In this scenario, who will implement court directive?

School van drivers too have asked parents to pay the June and July fee in advance.

The chief minister, chief secretary and education secretary should issue instructions to director-general of private educational institutions, Sindh, to take strict action against those schools.

Nisar Ahmed
Karachi

Published in Dawn, January 19th, 2020