NA panel raps PIERA over fee hikes

The National Assembly's Standing Committee on Federal Education and Professional Training on Tuesday took Private Educational Institutions Regulatory Authority (PIERA) to task over what it termed unjustified increases in school fees, raising serious concerns about flaws in the fee appraisal mechanism tied to quality assessment.

The meeting, convened by Dr Shazia Sobia Aslam Soomro, was held at the Federal Directorate of Education's conference room in Islamabad.

The committee pointed out that the quality assessment framework of private educational institutions is based on seven core indicators, including quality of teaching, classroom learning environment, infrastructure and facilities, transparency and public disclosure, administrative and operational capacity, cleanliness and discipline, and safety and security.

Members stressed that any fee increase must be directly linked to genuine improvements in these areas and should not place an undue financial burden on parents.

The panel emphasized the need for stricter scrutiny, greater transparency, and effective oversight by PIERA to ensure that quality-based appraisals are fair, credible, and serve the interests of students and parents rather than enabling arbitrary fee hikes.

The Committee was informed that the MoUs signed with NGOs have been vetted by the Ministry of Law and Justice and include provisions for compliance with the notified minimum wage.

The Committee emphasized that all employees working in government schools funded or operated through NGOs must be paid salaries strictly in accordance with the minimum wage laws, without any exception.

The committee recommended that all buildings presently under the administrative control of the Directorate General of Special Education (DGSE) be formally handed over to DGSE to ensure their effective utilization exclusively for the education, rehabilitation, and welfare of children with special needs.