Punjab bars schools from raising fees
Educational institutions found in violation of the ordinance will be fined a minimum of Rs100,000
PHOTO: FILE
LAHORE:
The Punjab government has issued an ordinance that bars private schools from raising their fees during an academic year unless they justify the hike to a ‘registering authority’ three months in advance.
The provincial law & parliamentary affairs department forwarded the Punjab Private Educational Institutions (Promotions & Regulations) (Amendment) Ordinance 2015 to Governor Rafique Rajwana for approval. Sources in the Governor House said Rajwana has approved the ordinance, which is likely to be enforced from Monday.
The ordinance reads: “An institution shall not charge, during the academic year 2015-2016, the fee from a student at a rate higher than the fee charged for the class during the academic year 2014-15.”
Educational institutions found in violation of the ordinance will be fined a minimum of Rs100,000. The ordinance also orders refunding the fees, if charged, within seven days of the enforcement of the ordinance. “The admission fee or the security shall not exceed the amount equal to the tuition fee payable by the student for a month,” states the ordinance.
Educational institutions have also been directed against making it mandatory upon parents to purchase textbooks, uniforms or other materials from a particular shop or provider or from the institution.
Any private educational institution that seeks to raise its fees will have to provide a ‘reasonable justification’ to the ‘registering authority’. They cannot increase fees during an academic year and will be allowed to file a request three months before the academic year starts. The authority may allow or reject the request after hearing the applicant, but the increase cannot exceed five per cent.
The authority will also have the power to fix fees for private educational institutions, depending on the category of the institution, the number of students it has and the facilities it provides to its students.
Private schools have been directed to register themselves with the registering authority within 40 days of the implementation of the ordinance. The authority will have 60 days to decide on the applications. The institutions shall continue to function until their applications are decided.
The authority shall fix the maximum amount of fees to be charged by an institution or a category of institutions. The institution shall not charge any other amount from the students other than the fees, which includes admission fee, tuition fee, security, laboratory fee, library fee or any other fee or amount charged by an institution from a student.
To challenge the registering authority’s order, an appeal may be filed within 30 days to the commissioner of the division, who shall decide the appeal within 30 days. The commissioner’s decision shall be final.
If a school defies any provisions of the ordinance, the registering authority – after providing a reasonable opportunity of defence – may impose administrative penalty of up to Rs20,000 a day from the date the notice is served on the institution.
If the violation continues for more than 30 days, the authority – in addition to any other action or penalty under the ordinance – may file a complaint against the head of the institution in the court of a first class magistrate. The court may punish the person in charge of the school with a fine up to Rs2 million.
If a school operates without being registered under the ordinance, its head may be fined up to Rs4 million, but not less than Rs300,000.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 20th, 2015.
The Punjab government has issued an ordinance that bars private schools from raising their fees during an academic year unless they justify the hike to a ‘registering authority’ three months in advance.
The provincial law & parliamentary affairs department forwarded the Punjab Private Educational Institutions (Promotions & Regulations) (Amendment) Ordinance 2015 to Governor Rafique Rajwana for approval. Sources in the Governor House said Rajwana has approved the ordinance, which is likely to be enforced from Monday.
The ordinance reads: “An institution shall not charge, during the academic year 2015-2016, the fee from a student at a rate higher than the fee charged for the class during the academic year 2014-15.”
Educational institutions found in violation of the ordinance will be fined a minimum of Rs100,000. The ordinance also orders refunding the fees, if charged, within seven days of the enforcement of the ordinance. “The admission fee or the security shall not exceed the amount equal to the tuition fee payable by the student for a month,” states the ordinance.
Educational institutions have also been directed against making it mandatory upon parents to purchase textbooks, uniforms or other materials from a particular shop or provider or from the institution.
Any private educational institution that seeks to raise its fees will have to provide a ‘reasonable justification’ to the ‘registering authority’. They cannot increase fees during an academic year and will be allowed to file a request three months before the academic year starts. The authority may allow or reject the request after hearing the applicant, but the increase cannot exceed five per cent.
The authority will also have the power to fix fees for private educational institutions, depending on the category of the institution, the number of students it has and the facilities it provides to its students.
Private schools have been directed to register themselves with the registering authority within 40 days of the implementation of the ordinance. The authority will have 60 days to decide on the applications. The institutions shall continue to function until their applications are decided.
The authority shall fix the maximum amount of fees to be charged by an institution or a category of institutions. The institution shall not charge any other amount from the students other than the fees, which includes admission fee, tuition fee, security, laboratory fee, library fee or any other fee or amount charged by an institution from a student.
To challenge the registering authority’s order, an appeal may be filed within 30 days to the commissioner of the division, who shall decide the appeal within 30 days. The commissioner’s decision shall be final.
If a school defies any provisions of the ordinance, the registering authority – after providing a reasonable opportunity of defence – may impose administrative penalty of up to Rs20,000 a day from the date the notice is served on the institution.
If the violation continues for more than 30 days, the authority – in addition to any other action or penalty under the ordinance – may file a complaint against the head of the institution in the court of a first class magistrate. The court may punish the person in charge of the school with a fine up to Rs2 million.
If a school operates without being registered under the ordinance, its head may be fined up to Rs4 million, but not less than Rs300,000.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 20th, 2015.