Pricey education: PTI steps in to challenge the private schools fee hike
Adjournment motion submitted in Sindh Assembly against fee raise
The protesters held up placards and shouted slogans. PHOTO: AYESHA MIR/EXPRESS
KARACHI:
An adjournment motion was submitted in the Sindh Assembly against the fee raise in private schools by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Khurram Sher Zaman on Tuesday.
The motion calls for a discussion on private schools decision to charge excessive amount of tuition fee from students in the province, especially in Karachi. It also states that the matter is of public importance and therefore needs to be discussed on the floor of the House.
Talking to The Express Tribune, Zaman demanded three actions to be taken immediately regarding the case. He wants schools to be asked to reimburse the excessive fee charged from parents, removal of public and private school education director Mansoob Hussain Siddiqui and strict action against those schools that raised fee more than 10 per cent.
"Schools have made a business out of education. Every year they increase 19 to 20 per cent [fee] and no one is asking them what they are actually providing [to the students] to raise the fee so much," Zaman said.
He added that there should be some rules, regulations, checks and balances on how much a school is increasing its fee in one year.
Citing an example, he said that if a private school in Defence charges Rs25,000 then it is actually promoting other small schools to charge at least Rs5,000 fee.
Zaman expressed his concerns over how a father of two children can afford such high fee who earns only Rs30,000 a month.
Parents only have the option of private schools as government schools have failed to provide good quality education, he said, adding that education minister Nisar Ahmed Khuhro has accepted the existence of ghost schools and teachers in public schools.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 16th, 2015.
An adjournment motion was submitted in the Sindh Assembly against the fee raise in private schools by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Khurram Sher Zaman on Tuesday.
The motion calls for a discussion on private schools decision to charge excessive amount of tuition fee from students in the province, especially in Karachi. It also states that the matter is of public importance and therefore needs to be discussed on the floor of the House.
Talking to The Express Tribune, Zaman demanded three actions to be taken immediately regarding the case. He wants schools to be asked to reimburse the excessive fee charged from parents, removal of public and private school education director Mansoob Hussain Siddiqui and strict action against those schools that raised fee more than 10 per cent.
"Schools have made a business out of education. Every year they increase 19 to 20 per cent [fee] and no one is asking them what they are actually providing [to the students] to raise the fee so much," Zaman said.
He added that there should be some rules, regulations, checks and balances on how much a school is increasing its fee in one year.
Citing an example, he said that if a private school in Defence charges Rs25,000 then it is actually promoting other small schools to charge at least Rs5,000 fee.
Zaman expressed his concerns over how a father of two children can afford such high fee who earns only Rs30,000 a month.
Parents only have the option of private schools as government schools have failed to provide good quality education, he said, adding that education minister Nisar Ahmed Khuhro has accepted the existence of ghost schools and teachers in public schools.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 16th, 2015.