Punjab

Restraining order: Private schools stopped from collecting summer vacation fee

She said schools were still forcing parents to pay the fee

Our Correspondent May 28, 2015

She said schools were still forcing parents to pay the fee. PHOTO: PAKISTANTODAY

LAHORE:

Justice Ali Akbar Qureshi of Lahore High Court (LHC) restrained private schools on Thursday from collecting fees during summer vacation. The court directed the government to advertise the order in the media.

The judge heard a petition moved by Advocate Sheeba Qaisar. She told the judge the government had already issued a notification stopping private schools from collecting fee for summer vacation. She said schools were still forcing parents to pay the fee.

Education Department officials attending the hearing told the court they had not received any complaints from parents or students on the matter. Justice Qureshi observed that the court would not tolerate concealing of facts. He directed that the government advertise the notification in newspapers.

The judge directed the Education Department to take action against the schools charging fee for summer vacation and submit a report at the next hearing. The court adjourned the hearing until June 2.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 29^th, 2015.

COMMENTS (38)

Shuja | 9 years ago | Reply Sir, I like to bring in your knowledge the following issue about the monthly fee The Bahria Foundation College, Block “J”, North Nazimabad Campus that they have not reduces the monthly fee of child as per regular release by Government announcement Dated 21.09.2015. Mr. Nawaz Sharif has instruct to reduces the fee to the previous settled amount. As per our previous conversation the school management told us that they will adjust the fee in current month, then why the school management is not adjust the respective amount as per their commitment. As Government has already instructed to institution to decrease the fee to previous amount. Father of Your School Child

Muhammad Tahir Baig | 9 years ago | Reply Some of the school chains are not sending bills but most sre sending bills. Secondly APSAC is the biggest chain of schools nationwide (Army Public School and College) and is run by our dear pakistan army.

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Faisal Mahmood | 9 years ago | Reply I am not paying but school authority (The Educators) are forcing me to pay. Is there any complain number of Government authorities?

Sadia sheikh | 9 years ago | Reply i am not paying fee but school authority force me to pay whole fee and they said this order is not for us my two childern studying in d h a school Lahore where i can complain

Mr.Hassan | 9 years ago | Reply My childen are studying in Resource Academia Lahore.The school has asked the parents to pay summer holidays fee in monthly basis for june,july,and august.They have not accepted the decision.I request the authorites to look into this matter.

Abdul Razzaq | 9 years ago | Reply The schools still doing this practice. I do not know about the decision either implemented for Islamabad schools or not. However school sent me three months fee with last date 8 June 2015. If i deposit the fee of three months the bank will charge Rs 15/- extra as fine. But three month fee taking before is not a fine?

Omar Bin Zahid | 9 years ago | Reply High Court decision must be up held with effect from the date high court issued the decision that private school should immediately stop charging fee from students during summer vacation and immediatly refund all the parents , who are been charged so far. LHC must take notice of its judgement in order to facilitate a silent majority , the parents.Ensuring that rule of law will prevail inspite of the high handedness of the private school owners. All parents are requested to join in submitting an application to respective private school, where your children are studying, mentioning the court order with copy to eduction ministry and attaching paid fee challan for june to August 2015. As parents we must join hands by up holding the LHC judgement and filing a combined case against "Private School Owners". If the private school system refunds the amount only then parents may applaud the decision or persue vigorously as deemed appropriate.

arbab nasir | 9 years ago | Reply Schools are not accepting the decision and they are still forcing the parents and students to pay the total school fee. We should take some either decision to implement this decision to take some sigh of relief for parents.i deposited the school fees for the summer vications. My two twins are studied in beacon house islamabad F-10 branch. The school addministration forced me to submit the fees. I deposited Rs.54500/- for two months. Where can i lodged the complaint against them.

Asad | 9 years ago | Reply I was genuinely happy to know that for once something was being provided for free in our country. Stopping private schools from collecting fee for summer vacation is a fair call by the government of Pakistan. If we look at this matter in detail, it makes completely no sense to charge parents with unreasonable fee even when their children are sitting at home. Schools that are still asking for vacation fee are going against the law and should be penalized.

ZAKI UR REHMAN | 9 years ago | Reply Schools are not accepting the decision and they are still forcing the parents and students to pay the total school fee. We should take some either decision to implement this decision to take some sigh of relief for parents.

zain | 9 years ago | Reply they force to pay the fees otherwise child will not permit to sit in exams and even cant get result..

zain | 9 years ago | Reply I am a govt. employee,my salary is 20000. My Son is studying here in Roots International School in Montessori and i have paid 17000/- for no reason,as they r not providing any services to student or parent in vacation but The CEO have to go for foreign trip with family to Europe.

MASA | 9 years ago | Reply Not only Asif Public School System but also Zee Cambridge School System (ZCSS) in Rawalpindi is collecting fees till August 2015.

Raheel | 9 years ago | Reply We want to bring it in the notice of education department and high court that Asif Public School System is asking students to deposit fee till August 2015 should be deposited in cash to the branch head. Is there any department who can take action against them. They are bother students and their parents.

HK Niazi | 9 years ago | Reply Someone also take up the matter for transport fee which is charged during summer vacation when there is no bus, no driver, no fuel consumption etc. etc. This amount also comes up in millions...

shafiq | 9 years ago | Reply My son is studying in LGS pre school and they are charging rs 3100 for stationary every month even though he is in nursery class. I received payment deposit slip today and basterds has also increased 16% school fee. Education department should make some rules and regulations for these looters.

Adeel | 9 years ago | Reply @josh: Teachers will get paid monthly; parents will be charged monthly fees but not "COLLECTIVELY".

m arif | 9 years ago | Reply Schools have stopped results, and it will be given next day of school fee due date. Result is held only to keep psychological pressure for fee recovery. There should be strict compliance of govt and court orders.

Adnan Fraz | 9 years ago | Reply Well...Decision is appreciated....but what about govt. Schools charging three month fee's (July, August & September)???? In addition I know it for a fact that teacher in most of the private schools don't get salary for these three months, inspite of the fact that these schools have been collecting Fee's for these 3 months since ages. Regards, Adnan Fraz

Uzman Kiani | 9 years ago | Reply This is unfair because how can we pay the building rent, utility bill, teachers salary, and other expenses during summer vacation nobody funding us we are paying every thing our self and in private school most of parents are making useless excuses at the time of fee date and trying to take it next month and some parents abuse our system and leave the school after 3 months without paying fees.

Uzman Kiani | 9 years ago | Reply This is unfair because how can we pay the building rent, utility bill, teachers salary, and other expenses during summer vocation nobody funding us we are paying every thing our self and in private school most of parents are making useless excuses at the time of fee date and trying to take it next month and some parents abuse our system and leave the school after 3 months without paying fees.

k151 | 9 years ago | Reply Good descion taken by government. But not much implement seen on this because schools are collecting summer vacation fee. Is there any number on which we can call and complain

Wajid | 9 years ago | Reply What about teachers? Is there anyone to think about them, what will they eat during summer vacations?

Ben | 9 years ago | Reply Finally someone is waking up! This should he been done ages ago. Almost all private schools are charging insanely. Admission chargers(that are non refundable at the time of admission go up to 150000) tuition fee, stationary n books fre( charged once a year), annual fee( min 20000 charged once a year, admin resource fee(charged every trimester) which comes Upto a lot. So why summer vacation fee when it's vacations?

Arsal | 9 years ago | Reply Even after LHR decision, schools are collecting fees in advance for summer vacation. Surprisingly not only schools are collecting fees but also the transporters associated with the schools for pick and drop of children are also collecting their monthly fees during summer vacation.

Haq | 9 years ago | Reply @Yassir Every where in the world where teachers get paid in the summer, they manage their balance of payments based on tuition fee paid during the school year. There is no one to one ratio. Teachers get paid a lot less than the tuition each student pays, and there are a lot more students than there are teachers. All the extra overheads get covered for the whole year pretty easily. This is just greed. When schools renovate and expand, they run fundraising campaigns. They run extra classes and program to make extra money. No one charges a fee when there is no service being provided. This is plain robbery. I know because I send my children to private school in the U.S.

Obi | 9 years ago | Reply The teachers shouldn't be jobless. Its like any other company when you hire staff/employee, they get paid leaves. The same model should be applicable for teachers as well.

Yassir Humayub | 9 years ago | Reply Well first of all this is a complete negation of free market economy. The contract between parents and private schools is out of free will. The Government is responsible for providing free eduction to children in Government Schools and if someone opts for a private school its their own choice. Secondly most of the expenses remain constant even in the summer including salaries etc.(everywhere in the world teachers get paid in the summer) Actually most school renovate/repair schools during summers which increases their expense. This decision by the court is absurd. It may appear popular but must be challenged in the supreme court.

Jonaid | 9 years ago | Reply @josh: Yes, its an incomplete decision. Going to make the teachers jobless for three months. On the other hand trying to impose the summer camp in this extreme weather on students. I don't think that the private schools even obey these orders of the courts as it is a very strong mafia.

Ahmed Naeem Malik | 9 years ago | Reply why should they get paid for holidays? This money actually goes to the owners of private schools who are mostly on a vacation in EU or USA etc.

Hassan | 9 years ago | Reply Finally. About time.

Ahmed Naeem Malik | 9 years ago | Reply they will earn through summer camps , which they all are offering and charging extra

Haris | 9 years ago | Reply @S Quereshi Why are the generators and computers are switched on if the school is off ? And I dont' know which school are you talking about that gives off books and stationery for free. Stop justifying wrongs.

shayan | 9 years ago | Reply they will earn through summer camps , which they all are offering and charging extra

S Qureshi | 9 years ago | Reply There got to be a compromise/ middle ground on the fee charged by private schools for the off months of summer. Well, the tuition fee is just one part of the whole fee. If you look closely, just as electric bill, private schools have multiple heads like Generator Fee, Computer Fee, Security Fee, Additional Charges, Library Fee, Sports Fee, Annual Charges, Books & Stationary Charges and Extra Charges etc. Also instead of collecting fee in the school they want parents to deposit it in the banks. Just like electric bill, in case you miss the due date, there is a surcharge of 500 to 1,000 Rupees. Instead of sending fee bills after the month ends, they send fee bills one to two months advance, all the money paid earlier by some parents brings in more profits for the the school owners. What a mess......we need an independent regulator/ authority to watch over private education system in Pakistan.

Max | 9 years ago | Reply @Josh - why should they get paid for holidays? This money actually goes to the owners of private schools who are mostly on a vacation in EU or USA

josh | 9 years ago | Reply So who will pay the teachers for the summer holidays?

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