IHC mulls vacating stay on PEIRA action
Private schools told to submit replies by October 30
COURTESY: IHC WEBSITE
ISLAMABAD:
Private schools in the federal capital have been given until October 30 to explain over hike in fees and the expulsion of students for failing to pay the fees.
A stay on action against private schools by the Pakistan Educational Institutions Regulatory Authority (PEIRA) was also maintained.
This was directed by a bench of the Islamabad High Court (IHC), comprising Justice Aamer Farooq, as it held a combined hearing for all identical petitions filed against the recent increase in schools fee, harassment of parents and student for not paying fees and expelling the children of Dr Uzma.
During Monday’s hearing, counsels representing parents, including Advocate Jahangir Jadoon, urged the court to direct the school administration to stop harassing students for non-payment of fees owing to court decisions.
In this regard, they told the court that the administrations of different schools have allegedly deemed that the payment of fees was more important than the attendance of students.
At this, Justice Farooq said that he was aware of the issues, adding that he had stopped PIERA from taking actions against errant private schools by passing a stay order.
However, he remarked that there will be no further delays in the matter and asked the counsels to appear at the next hearing on October 30.
Hearing the case regarding expulsion of Dr Uzma’s children from a private school, her counsel argued that there was no issue of fees, however, the students were handed termination certificate (TC) unreasonably.
He complained that they lodged a complaint with PIERA in this regard but the authority took no action, therefore, they had to file a petition before the IHC. The counsel expressed that education was a basic, inalienable right of the children and that they cannot be deprived of it.
The counsel for related private school said that parents of the expelled students threatened the school principal with contempt after which the action was taken. Meanwhile, a counsel for PIERA said that they had referred all such complaints to the courts of either magistrate or assistant commissioner (AC) and added that authority was only limited to suspending licences of schools and imposing fines for failing to implement its orders.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 22nd, 2019.
Private schools in the federal capital have been given until October 30 to explain over hike in fees and the expulsion of students for failing to pay the fees.
A stay on action against private schools by the Pakistan Educational Institutions Regulatory Authority (PEIRA) was also maintained.
This was directed by a bench of the Islamabad High Court (IHC), comprising Justice Aamer Farooq, as it held a combined hearing for all identical petitions filed against the recent increase in schools fee, harassment of parents and student for not paying fees and expelling the children of Dr Uzma.
During Monday’s hearing, counsels representing parents, including Advocate Jahangir Jadoon, urged the court to direct the school administration to stop harassing students for non-payment of fees owing to court decisions.
In this regard, they told the court that the administrations of different schools have allegedly deemed that the payment of fees was more important than the attendance of students.
At this, Justice Farooq said that he was aware of the issues, adding that he had stopped PIERA from taking actions against errant private schools by passing a stay order.
However, he remarked that there will be no further delays in the matter and asked the counsels to appear at the next hearing on October 30.
Hearing the case regarding expulsion of Dr Uzma’s children from a private school, her counsel argued that there was no issue of fees, however, the students were handed termination certificate (TC) unreasonably.
He complained that they lodged a complaint with PIERA in this regard but the authority took no action, therefore, they had to file a petition before the IHC. The counsel expressed that education was a basic, inalienable right of the children and that they cannot be deprived of it.
The counsel for related private school said that parents of the expelled students threatened the school principal with contempt after which the action was taken. Meanwhile, a counsel for PIERA said that they had referred all such complaints to the courts of either magistrate or assistant commissioner (AC) and added that authority was only limited to suspending licences of schools and imposing fines for failing to implement its orders.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 22nd, 2019.