Schools under fire over annual charges

Parents of children enrolled in private educational institutions in Rawalpindi and Islamabad have urged the authorities concerned to take action against schools allegedly charging annual fees under various heads at the beginning of every new academic session.

According to parents, despite regulations framed by the Private Educational Institutions Regulatory Authority (PEIRA), several private schools in the twin cities continue to levy admission, security and miscellaneous charges at the start of each academic year, placing an additional financial burden on families.

They said schools routinely demanded lump sums ranging from Rs20,000 to Rs50,000 when students were promoted to the next class, in addition to monthly tuition fees.

The charges were reportedly imposed under different names, including annual charges, re-admission fees and promotion fees, allegedly in violation of the applicable rules.

Muhammad Asif, a parent whose two children attend a private school in G-11, said the school issued fee vouchers every March that included admission charges, despite both children being existing students.

"We pay Rs30,000 per child as annual charges. When we ask the administration, they say it is a system fee. It is not affordable for a middle-class family," he said.