Schools defy ban on collecting annual charges in Lahore

Results of students withheld over non-payment

LAHORE:

Some big chains of private educational institutions are allegedly violating a Lahore High Court order against the collection of annual funds from the parents of students.

The annual charges are also a violation of the Punjab Private Educational Institutions (Promotion and Regulation) Ordinance 1984.

According to the parents, private institutions also force them to purchase books and uniforms from specific shops.

The Lahore District Education Authority has warned the all private institutions to stop the illegal fund collection and sale of books and uniforms.

With the beginning of the new academic year in Punjab approaching, several schools reportedly have been demanding annual funds from the parents of the students. The sources said some private schools in Lahore had withheld the results last week of students whose parents had not paid thousands of rupees demanded under the head of annual fund.

“Almost every group and big private schools have set up their shops inside or outside the institutions and declared it compulsory for the students to purchase their course books and uniforms from the outlets,” a senior official of the district education authority said while speaking to The Express Tribune.

The official lamented that the textbooks of various grades were being sold for Rs8,000 to Rs15,000 without facing action from the education authority.

As per a ruling issued by the high court last year, as well as the act governing the sector, the private schools are not allowed to charge any dues other than the tuition and admission fees.

The official said the sale of books and uniforms by the schools was also illegal but the rule was being flouted in almost all districts.

He said the government officials concerned appeared unable to take on those involved in the violation.

"It is a fact that according to the law and decision of the Lahore High Court, such funds and sale of books and uniforms is not right and complains in this regard are usually related to the big groups of private schools,” said All Pakistan Private Schools Management Association President Kashif Adeeb Jawdani.

He contended that the small private schools were not involve in such practices.

However, he claimed that there might be an understanding between the school managements and parents willing to pay the annual charges.

The mother of a school student, Sumera Khan, alleged that the private school sector was acting like a mafia taking advantage of poor condition of the government institutions. “We want to educate our kids but these private schools are fleecing us,” she claimed.

She said most of the major school chains were owned by influential people.

An official of the district education authority said, “We will launch a crackdown against the private schools that charge annual funds and sell textbooks and uniforms.”

Published in The Express Tribune, March 30^th, 2024.