KARACHI: While ordering a private school to reverse unauthorised hike in tuition fees of students, the Sindh government has warned all private schools of strict action if they unlawfully increase their fees or ask parents to pay any hidden charges other than the approved fees.

According to Rafia Mallah, additional director of Sindh’s Directorate of Inspection and Registration of Private Institutions (DIRPS), a circular was issued to all schools to make it clear that “if any school increases its fees, action will be taken against it”.

The circular noted that complaints had been received regarding excess tuition fees charged by schools as well as “additional hidden charges” being collected from parents.

“Do not request parents to pay any hidden charges other than the approved fees,” it said, as well as directing administrators to display the approved fee on the school’s notice board and reception.

Veritas Learning Circle told to reverse fees hike, refund ‘amount unlawfully collected from students’

On Friday, the DIRPS sent a letter to the principal and administrator of Veritas Learning Circle (Primary), directed them to immediately stop the collection of any excess or unapproved fees from the students

Referring to a hearing held on Thursday regarding complaints about the school’s “illegal and extraordinary” fee hike, it said: “During the course of the hearing, it was determined that your school, including all of its campuses, had enhanced tuition fees without the approval of the registration authority, in violation of the Rule 7(6) of the Sindh Private Educational Institutions (Regulation and Control) Rules 2005.”

The rule states that “any complaint regarding the tuition fees in violation of the rules or charging of any fee other than tuition fees shall be liable to be punished”.

“Therefore, you are hereby directed to immediately stop the collection of any excess or unapproved fees from the students,” the directorate’s letter said and directed the school to immediately refund the amounts unlawfully collected as tuition fees from all students.

It further directed the institution to only collect fees that had been duly approved by the registration authority.

According to Ms Mallah, schools typically hike their fees after obtaining the directorate’s approval for a five per cent increase, for which they apply when renewing their registration.

In this case, she said, Veritas had not applied for the 5pc increment, nor was it scheduled to renew its registration this year: “They just enhanced their fees by themselves all of a sudden.”

During Thursday’s hearing, it was found that the institution had decided to hike the fees on its own, following which a letter was issued directing it not to raise its fees “by a single rupee” above the amount previously approved by the directorate, she said.

Published in Dawn, July 11th, 2026