Private education bill: Private schools uneasy about regulatory proposals

'Govt consulting schools on proposals, bill at an early stage'.

LAHORE:

Private schools have expressed concern about proposals to bind them to certain fee structures and for increased penalties that are part of a bill being drawn up by the government to regulate private schools, The Express Tribune has learnt.

The government is consulting with stakeholders on the formation of a regulatory body to monitor private schools across the province, said Mohammad Ali Kamboh, the additional secretary (general) at the Schools Education Department.

The regulatory body is to be set up under a private education bill currently being drafted. “The primary aim of the bill is to offer a regulatory mechanism for all private schools,” said Kamboh. He said that it was too early to state the make-up of the regulatory commission, but representatives of private schools would be taken on board.



The bill will also seek to divide private schools into three categories, depending on the facilities they offer and their academic performance, and bind each category to a certain fee structure, Kamboh said.

He stressed that the legislation was at an early stage and deliberations on various aspects were ongoing. So far, one meeting has been held in this regard with representatives of private schools, government officials, teachers and parents. “We have to take every stakeholder’s concerns into consideration,” said Kamboh.

Private schools are to make alternative proposals this week. “We were told that private schools had certain apprehensions about the proposals being considered for the bill,” said Kamboh. The schools had expressed concern about a proposed uniform education system, compulsory registration and certain penalties for violations of the bill. “Once their proposal is before us we will be in a better situation to take this matter further,” he said.

On August 14, Minister for Education Rana Mashhood Ahmed Khan, speaking at the launch of a school enrolment drive, announced that the government was setting up a primary education commission to regulate private schools in the province. He said that progress on the formation of the commission would be expected in the next week.

Private Schools Association

All Private Schools Association Chairman Adeeb Jawdani said that some of the proposals under consideration for the bill were unfair. “It is completely unfair for the government to establish a fee structure without taking into consideration the expenses being incurred by these schools,” he said, referring to the three-level fee structure.

Earlier in 2010, he said, a similar regulatory bill was being prepared by an education task force. Jawdani said that he was part of the consultations but no consensus was reached.

He also expressed reservations about the possible increase in the school registration fee, which currently stands at Rs10,000. He said that the bill would increase this fee to Rs150,000.

Penalties proposed for schools are also “extremely harsh”, he said. “Any schools found in violation of the regulatory bill can be slapped with a penalty of Rs600,000 and imprisonment of up to six months and even both,” he said.

Jawdani said these proposals must be revisited. If the regulatory bill in its current form is passed and implemented, he said, the private schools would take the matter to the courts.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 24^th, 2013.