GILGIT: Gilgit-Baltistan Supreme Appellate Court on Saturday ordered that 50 per cent fee of the students of private schools would be paid by the school administration, 30 per cent by students and 20 per cent would be paid by the government for the period during which private schools remained close due to Covid-19.

A two member bench of GB Supreme Appellate Court Chief Justice Syed Arshad Hussain Shah and Justice Wazir Shakeel Ahmed also issued order that the fee collected by the schools during Covid-19 should be refunded to the students.

The court summoned education secretary and sought explanation from him about collecting additional fee, transport charges, library charges, security charges and other additional charges from students during the lockdown.

The additionally secretary of education informed the court that Private Schools Regularisation Act was framed and required to be approved by the government. He said that it would address all the issues related to private schools.

He said that the issue of fee collection by private schools was taken up with the caretaker government, which lacked authority to devise policy.

He said that the matter was again taken up with the new government for resolution.

According a press release, a meeting of Parents Association GB was held at a local hotel in Gilgit that appreciated the directives of the court.

Published in Dawn, March 14th, 2021