Not In Place: PEIRA has no fee checking mechanism says chairman

“There are 722 institutions registered with PEIRA, and a few which are unregistered,” says PEIRA Chairman.

ISLAMABAD:

PEIRA Chairman Atif Kayani, when contacted by The Express Tribune, denied knowledge of the petition filed with the Islamabad High Court.

While talking about fee checking mechanisms or monitoring of these institutions, he said, “We do not have the authority to have check on fee mechanism and related issues. A bill would have to be passed by the National Assembly about granting PEIRA the right to keep a check on all irregularities and violations in charging of fee and other issues.”

However, he found the petitioner’s claim about the existence of over 1,000 private schools in the capital an exaggeration, saying, “There are 722 institutions registered with PEIRA, and a few which are unregistered,” he said.

He opined that most of the unregistered ‘schools’ are those which have not displayed boards bearing their names and some preschools and daycare centres. “The illegal institutions may be below primary-level, because the federal board does not allow unregistered schools to take exams,” he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 6^th, 2012.