Heavy on the pockets: District administration to resolve tuition fee woes

Private schools demand transportation charges for summer vacations

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar district administration has decided to convene a meeting on Monday with all stakeholders to resolve the issue of increase school fee.

“A number of public complaints have been received regarding unjustified increase in fee of private schools,” Peshawar DC Riaz Mehsud has been quoted as saying in a statement issued on Saturday. “Therefore, we have invited education department officials to discuss the issue.”

Beyond reach

Parents have also raised objections over ever-increasing transportation costs. While talking to The Express Tribune, Sajjad Ali, a resident of Mardan, said two of his children are enrolled in Iqra School in Mardan.

“Besides paying Rs12,000 for their tuition fee every month, I also need to pay an additional Rs12,000 for transport,” he saod.

Ali runs a general store in Mardan and it is not easy for him to pay such a hefty amount.

“The government schools in my area do not deliver quality education. As a result, I have no option but to keep my children in a private school.”

Parents and guardians are also not spared from paying for transportation costs during summer vacations when the vehicles are not even used for children’s commute. Bashir Shah, a resident of the city, told The Express Tribune that private school administrations demand transportation fees be paid in advance for the summer vacations even though schools remain closed. He urged the provincial government and Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education of the districts concerned to address the issues and get a mechanism in place.

To keep it going

However, Private Schools Association President Aqeel Razzaq said there are around 25,000 private schools across the province with no proper fee mechanism.

“Some schools in K-P demand high fee but some deliver low quality of education and are less expensive; it varies between Rs2,000 and Rs15,000 per student per month.” He added that the schools increase their fee each year in accordance with the budget and administrations charge fee even for the months of vacation because they have to pay the rent of the school building and teachers their salaries. “It is not possible for the administration to cover these expenses from its own pocket.” Nevertheless, Razzaq said that they have discussed the issue with the government.

When contacted, Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education Peshawar Chairman Shafi Afridi said they have fined various private schools for violating the directives.

“Tuition fee can be charged for the months of vacation but charging for transportation is unfair.” He added that they have ordered all private schools to stop the practice or their licenses would be cancelled. “We are also planning to make categories among private schools as per the facilities they offer to students, according to which the fee structure would be designed.”

Published in The Express Tribune, September 13^th, 2015.