Parents demand regulation of school fees

Say many private schools impose excessive annual charges ranging from Rs5,000 to Rs50,000

ISLAMABAD:

Residents of Rawalpindi and Islamabad have urged authorities to take action against private schools illegally charging annual fees.

To end financial exploitation, concerned parents called for measures to prevent financial exploitation, highlighting that many private schools impose excessive annual charges ranging from Rs5,000 to Rs50,000.

A mother of four, Saleeha Jabeen, while sharing her struggles with private school admission fees said: "I am a sole earner in the family and it's becoming increasingly difficult for me to afford the annual admission fees for all four of my children." She added that she was forced to shell out a significant portion of her income on admission fees, which can range from Rs5,000 to Rs50,000 or more per child. It is like throwing money down the drain and not even sure what these fees are used for.

"I had to make sacrifices, cut back on expenses, and even take out loans to pay for these fees and I fear that I won't be able to afford it anymore." It's time for the authorities concerned to step in and regulate these fees, she said, adding that they need affordable education options for our children, not exploitative practices that bleed us dry.

Saqlain Khan, a father of two said, "We are fed up with paying annual admission fees, which is an additional financial burden on us. We request the authorities to intervene and regulate the fee structure of private schools." He said public schools don't charge annual fees, but private schools do it's unfair to charge us for something free in public schools.

If private schools continue to charge exorbitant annual fees, he said, adding that they would be forced to look for alternative options like home-schooling or online education.

When contacted officials concerned, they assured the parents that their concerns would be addressed, and necessary action would be taken against private schools violating the rules.