Govt irked as private schools hustle big bucks

Operating like businesses, 'elite' educational institutes come under scathing criticism from regulator

KARACHI: The provincial education department has blamed private schools, particularly those catering to students from higher-income families, for the illegal and unjust increase in admission and monthly tuition fees.

Many of these schools have been issued notices in this regard. Almost all of them have responded through their legal advisers that the matter is pending before the court and that the provincial government must wait for the verdict to be announced.



This has been revealed in a report submitted on June 6 by the Sindh Education Department's Directorate of Inspection and Registration of Private Institutions in the Sindh High Court. The report names several well-known institutions such as the The City School, Foundation Public School (FPS), Head Start School System, The Indus Academy, Daud Public School, Lyceum School and Nixor College, DHA, among others as the major culprits.

The report compiled by Sindh Private Institutions Director Mansoob Siddiqui reveals details of action taken against these schools on several occasions, as well as complaints the directorate received from parents of students studying in these institutions. The action was taken under the Sindh Private Education Institutions (Regulation and Control) Ordinance 2001, Amendment Act of 2003, the report adds.



Siddiqui, in the report, contends that the complaints from parents against these institutions included unjust increases in fees, charging fees for the months of June and July from students appearing for their matriculation exams, violations of the academic calendar, disputes between schools' management and staff over salaries, threats to students for not paying illegally hyped fees, maltreatment of students, non-payment of salaries to staff for the months of June and July and forcing students to buy books, stationery and uniforms on inflated prices from the school. Parents have also accused the management of some schools of subjecting students to physical abuse.

The report points out one complaint in particular received against Nixor College located in Defence Housing Authority Phase V. The complainant, in this case, had accused the institution of illegally charging an exorbitant amount in the name of admission fees, the report said, adding that action was taken against the school and it was asked to refund the amount.

Meanwhile, the Lyceum School located in Clifton was accused of "discriminatory admissions, favouritism, unauthorised collection of tuition fees and charging hefty amounts in the name of admission fees."

Several other complaints were received against the The City School, Foundation Public school, Head Start School System, and The Indus Academy, among others, regarding illegal increases in tuition fees, on which the directorate had issued show-cause notices. In response, the schools, through their legal advisers, Kamal Azfar and Asad Shakeel, had maintained that the matter was subjudice and that the provincial government should await the court's verdict.



The report adds that the SHC, on October 17, 2014, had issued a decree that the Sindh Private Education Institutions Regulation and Control Ordinance, 2001, stood abolished and had been changed to the Sindh Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2013, passed by the provincial assembly. As per the order, the Directorate of Inspection and Registration of Private Institutions would have no right to take action against private schools in the province.

On April 6, 2017, the Supreme Court had annulled the SHC verdict and reinstated the powers of the authority. The SC, in its hearing, had also appreciated the directorate's efforts and directed other provinces to follow its example.