Representational image. PHOTO: AFP
In a notification issued in this regard, the authority has directed all the schools to charge fees at the rates prevailing in January 2017 till finalisation of recalculation process. The schools have also been instructed to submit grade-wise base fees from January 2017 till date for determination of new fees in accordance with court’s verdict.
Further, PIERA has banned the schools from depriving a student from acquiring education in case of delays in payment of fees after renewed calculations.
Similarly, the schools have also been stopped from receiving fees reduced under orders of SC in arrears under any circumstances.
Private schools warned
Meanwhile, Minister for Federal Education and Technical Training Shafqat Mahmood has warned that the government would take strict action against private schools who violated the supreme court orders regarding increase in fees.
Parents demand implementation of SC ruling against private schools’ high fees
It was the duty of federal and provincial governments to ensure the implementation of Apex Court decision about private schools fees, he said addressing a press Conference at the fourth Inter-Provincial Ministers Conference(IPMC) Forum.
Mahmood said the government would ensure that the Supreme Court Orders regarding increase in fees by private sector educational institutions would be implemented in true manners. As per court decision, he said, the fees structure of 2017 can be increased only five percent by next two years.
It was the responsibility of government to ensure the implementation of court orders regarding increase of fees by private sector schools and colleges, Shafqat said.
The provincial chief secretaries had been briefed in today's IPMC meeting about the implementation of decisions taken by the federal government regarding religious seminaries, he added.
He called for bringing uniformity in the educational years, saying; the results of all educational boards should be announced on one date. He announced that all educational boards would announce FA/FSc results till August 15.
It had also been decided in the meeting, he said that university classes would be started on September 15 every year.
He said that the Higher Education Commission has inked an accord of $400 million with the World Bank. The total amount of this agreement would be spent on the projects initiated by the HEC, Shafqat added.
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He also hinted the upgradation of existing universities rather to establish new higher educational institutions.
The entire universities of the country have not equal standards, he said adding that HEC will launch a testing service at national level to examine the standard of these universities.
He said the government would focus on holding of training and research programs for teachers with an aim to improve the standard of universities.
To a question, he said that due to financial constraints, the government was unable to provide enough funds to HEC in the budget.
"We are striving to provide more funds to the higher education commission" he ensured.
The provincial governments, he said, has also allocated funds to universities. An online service would also be launched for the verification of degrees and provision of equivalence to foreign degree holders by Inter Board Committee of Chairman(IBCC) to facilitate the people, he informed the media persons.
He said that the educational boards across the country had been recommended to take exams of middle, matriculation and intermediate level.
In the IPMC meeting, it had also been decided to end the exams of class 9th and 11th, he said.
Shafqat Mahmood said that IPMC was a best source in the country for the implementation of uniform education system and decisions taken for the improvement of education sector.
He lauded the participation of provinces in the meeting, saying they had not only shared the issue being faced by the education sector but also discussed its resolutions.
(with additional input by APP)
Published in The Express Tribune, September 25th, 2019.
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