Violating the law: Schools charge advance summer fees despite orders

Parents receive notices, warning of fines in case of failure to pay up

PESHAWAR: Many private school administrations in the city have issued notices to parents to submit advance fees despite directives from the DC’s office and BISE Peshawar not to charge fees in the summer break.

The copy of a notice handed to parents by a private school administration situated in Phase-6 of Hayatabad is available with The Express Tribune. It asked parents of children to submit their dues of June and July before vacations otherwise a fine would be imposed of Rs500 per day.

A father of school-going children, requesting anonymity, told The Express Tribune they were displaced by the military operation in Waziristan and could hardly bear the expenses of their rented house in the city. Submitting advance fees for their children was an additional burden on their shoulders.



He said despite the DC’s directives, school administrations were not following orders. “School administrations should either adjust fees of vacations in dues of other months or not charge for it altogether.” He has been asked to deposit over Rs5,000 for a single child.

DC Riaz Khan Mehsud, speaking to the media on May 27, said schools will not be allowed to charge extra fees during summer vacations. A notification issued by the DC office said those who are not complying with the orders would face legal action under the consumer rights act.

Also, a BISE Peshawar notification on May 13 directed all private school principals not to charge transport and other fee, except monthly tuition, in advance. It also warned of strict action against schools/colleges involved in such practices.

Meanwhile, All Pakistan Private Schools Management Association K-P President Dr Muhammad Zakir Shah shared the institutes only decided to collect June’s fee and not take it in advance for July and August.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 7^th, 2016.