Wah Cantt School: Parents complain of high school fee

TAXILA:

The parents and students of Sir Syed School and College Wah Cantonment have called upon Pakistan Ordnance Factories (POF) Chief Lt-Gen Omer Mehmood Hayat and Sir Syed Educational Society Patron Zakkiur Rehman to take stock of the issue of charging of students and their parents’ exorbitant fee under various heads.

Parents claimed that the students of primary classes were charged heavy fees, which was putting extra financial burden on them.

“The grade-II students are charged Rs1,000 in examination fee and Rs60 as science fund,” said a mother Shamim Akhter.

The grade-II students do not even attend science laboratory classes, she said, adding “asking them to contribute to the science fund do not make sense.”

Khalid Khan, a factory employee said that he was a low-paid worker and such charges dent his budget.

He said that previous month he paid a large amount on purchase of new books, copies and uniform and now the school administration had issued fee slips with exorbitant charges on different accounts such as building fund, science fund and examination fee.

“How a grade-III student is being charged Rs1,000 in examination fee? How much stationery he uses during the year?” he said.

Bushra Perveen, mother of a grade-III student also questioned as why they were being asked to contribute to science fund, when the students were not taking any laboratory classes.

Kaneez Fatima, another parent said that even grade-II students were charged Rs100 as building fund and Rs100 as student fund.

Despite repeated attempts the college principal refused to talk to this reporter.

The phone attendant took this correspondent’s number but did not respond despite a wait of three days.

The parents and students of Sir Syed School and College Wah Cantonment have called upon Pakistan Ordnance Factories (POF) Chief Lt-Gen Omer Mehmood Hayat and patron Sir Syed Educational Society Zakkiur Rehman to take stock of situation and immediately orders for reimbursement of extorted money to the parents.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 19^th, 2016.