Reduced fares for students

In a highly commendable decree, the Sindh High Court (SHC) has ordered the provincial government to till transporters to offer reduced fares for students but to scrutinise the provincial Higher Education Commission, boards of education and examination, and school and colleges for compliance with certain rules set in place such as the illegality of charging fees for certificates and other documents, which should be made available to students at no charge. The fact that this had been occurring underscores that corruption is rampant in the education sector, particularly in Sindh. Indeed, it is high time to facilitate students and support them through their education.

With regard to reduced transport fares, the public transport authority and the transport secretary must introduce measures to ensure full compliance with the rules. They should also outline a plan of action for what to do when a student is refused a reduced rate. It is not standard operating procedure for public transport services to provide receipts, unless a private service such as Careem or Uber is used; thus, retrospect claims made by students would be nearly impossible to track.

Globally, many colleges and universities provide discounted rates to students for public services on account of the hardships they face via tuition fees, deadlines, and strenuous workloads. Some universities go so far as to provide their own bus services for students and although the cost is magically figured into their exorbitant tuition rates, universities, nonetheless, work to facilitate and support their students through the provision of resources. Pakistan’s education boards need to, likewise, support their students more, especially with news of student suicide due to academic pressure becoming more frequent. The SHC’s decision should be considered in other provinces. The orders might be difficult to implement in practicality at first, considering that there is a transport mafia orchestrating the majority of public transportation in the city; however, intelligent planning can carry the decision to success.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 1^st, 2017.

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