SWABI: Private academies and centres providing tuition to students have been increasing in the district day by day while teachers lure parents to arrange tuition for their wards by adopting different strategies.

The teachers, especially those teaching English, mathematics, biology and physics, use common tactics like warning students they may not get good marks and admission to a good college if their parents failed to arrange tuition for them.

This correspondent discussed the issue with a number of teachers and parents and it was observed that despite making handsome payments to the private schools majority of the parents had been arranging tuitions for their children.

However, the parents pointed out that increasing reliance on tuition had made it clear that there were serious flaws in the educational system, which needed drastic reforms.

“It is my responsibility to ensure good education of my children whether it is through private tuitions or their own teachers,” said Abdul Mastan.

He said that he had left his Gadoon mountainous belt and was residing in the city area to give quality education to his three children.

Slowly and gradually tuition is becoming an essential part of the education system. “I have paid Rs20,000 for the physics part-II tuition of my sister. Same applies to tuition of biology and chemistry. I think there is no other option,” said Abbas Ali Khan of Maneri Bala.

The full course tuition could cost between Rs30,000 and Rs40,000 to parents of an intermediate level student and if there are three college going children it might become difficult for a middle class family to arrange the money.

“The middle and poor class can not afford the private tuition fee,” said Kifayatullah of Kunda village.

Those who oppose tuition often pose a question why a student would need two to three hours tuition after spending six hours daily and six days a week in a school or college.

Qamar Ali, a retired headmaster, said that the menace of tuition had a disturbing effect on poor students and their parents.

“The poor and weak students have become victims of the flaws in education system because on the one hand they could not afford tuition fee, on the other they are unable to catch up with the studies and compete,” he said.

As such there are greater chances of dropout of poor students, which could be attributed to the system failure.