I WOULD like to draw the attention of the authorities concerned towards malpractices by almost all private English-medium schools in Rawalpindi and throughout the country.

I must say that in Pakistan big and prestigious educational institutions collect fee in advance from January to May so that there should be no outstanding fee till August every year.

A few years ago the government announced that schools will not be authorised to charge any fee during summer vacations which was a big relief for parents.

But now they collect all fees, including for summer vacations, in advance which puts a huge financial load on parents.

I have five children. Being a salaried person, like many others, it is also a big challenge for me to meet school expenses from December to May. The schools demand double fee payment in advance as well as the so-called annual charges.

There are very few schools which allow fee payment on a monthly basis. Even worse, a few schools allow monthly payment only when you pay extra handling charges (interest) for monthly payment.

Like most of the people in the country, I do not get salary in advance and under the prevailing inflation and expensive commodities, does one think school fees and charges are manageable for an average salaried person?

It is the dream and the right of every parent to give good education to their children.

However, money-minting schools have no right whatsoever to exploit parents who are already crushed under inflation.

An immediate action is needed by the authorities concerned. All school managements should be asked to collect fee on a monthly basis.

They should not be authorised to collect fee for summer vacations, while annual charges should also be ended to reduce the load on parents.

HADI MURAD Rawalpindi