Schools ask students to pay fee or face expulsion

Parents decry threats of private educational institutions

RAWALPINDI: Several private educational institutions in Rawalpindi have sent expulsion notices to their students over non-payment of fees.

In the notices, the schools have notified parents that their children will not be allowed to attend online classes beginning June 1 unless all pending dues are cleared by May 31.

Consequently, parents have called on the government to intervene and take notice of the highhandedness of private educational institutions.

Alliance seeks relief package for schools

Several parents who spoke to The Express Tribune said that they have either lost their jobs or had to bear cuts in their salaries, owing to which they are cash-strapped and unable to pay the hefty monthly fees.

The parent of one such student who has received an expulsion notice, home-maker Shamim, said that her three children are all studying in different private schools. She added that her husband used to operate a pick-and-drop service in the city. But after the government imposed a lockdown, to help curb the spread of the novel coronavirus (Covid-19), he has not been able to earn anything.

“I am running my home using our savings”, Shamim said, adding that under the circumstances, they are unable to pay the heavy fees for all their three children.

She further decried that schools have bound students to purchase a personal smartphone to attend online classes.

“How can we buy three smartphones, one for each child?” she questioned.

We have only one smartphone that all of my children use, the distressed mother added, demanding the government to take notice of the situation.

400 schools, colleges face closure

In late March, the Punjab government had announced a 20 per cent cut in school fees while they were bound to charge fees monthly instead of advanced fees. However, many schools were unwilling to offer this facility to their students.

The All Pakistan Private School Management (APSM) had voiced its support for the government’s decision, however, it had pointed to the difficulties they may face.

APSM President Abrar Ahmed had reminded the government that private schools will face several difficulties in implementing this decision given the continuous closure of schools.

In a video conference, Ahmed and renowned educationist Irfan Talib had urged the government to take an appropriate decision in this regard as soon as possible and realise the situation arising out of the closure of private educational institutions.

“We not only represent the educated people but also have the task of educating the youth,” Talib said, adding that they will refrain from any kind of protest that would send a negative message to the new generation.

“We cherish the health of our children the most and cannot think of taking any kind of risk in this regard.” 

Published in The Express Tribune, May 29^th, 2020.