ISLAMABAD: Senate Standing Committee on Federal Education Chairman Irfanul Haq Siddiquihas taken notice of the weak regulatory check by Private Educational Institutions Regulatory Authority (Peira) on private schools.

Peira had notified its rules in 2016 which were struck down by the Islamabad High Court (IHC). It then formed a policy to regulate fee, which was notified in August this year, but private schools obtained stay orders from the court against the said policy.

Private schools, meanwhile, continue to charge exorbitant fees despite protests by parents.

Speaking to Dawn, Senator Irfanul Haq Siddiqui said after reading a news report, he became upset because Peira, despite having state resources, had no role to determine fees of private schools. He said the committee had already issued its agenda, but he got it amended to add Peira as well.

“We are going to take up issues of Peira in our upcoming meeting to be held on Oct 22,” the chairman said, adding that personally he felt Peira had failed to deliver as the issue of private schools was not only related to fees, but also to ensuring quality labs, play grounds, libraries and furniture in schools.

“I have decided that the Senate committee will play an active role in this regard and in the upcoming meeting, we will form a subcommittee on Peira,” he said, adding that, “I hope the federal education minster will support us to bring improvement in the education sector.”

In August this year, Peira had notified a new policy, directing private schools not to increase their fees by more than 5pc from the baseline fee structure of 2017.

The new policy also stated that there shall be no charges by schools at all other than those mentioned in the schedule to be duly acknowledged by the parent/student accordingly. It also barred private schools from compelling students to buy school items from specific vendors/shops.

However, the said policy was not implemented by private schools.

A spokesperson for Private School Association, Abdul Waheed, had said private educational institutions were concerned with the policy notified by Peira in August this year, which was why they challenged it before the Islamabad High Court.

Published in Dawn, October 12th, 2021