Fee increase case: SHC orders restoration of expelled students’ admissions

Students had been expelled by The Generation’s School over non-payment of tuition fee

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) directed on Tuesday the management of The Generation’s School to restore the admissions of students expelled over non-payment of fees that was sharply increased recently.

The division bench, headed by Justice Sajjad Ali Shah, was hearing the petition filed by over 400 parents of students studying at the two, campuses of The Generation’s School. The parent went to court against the school management for increasing the fee contrary to the Sindh Private Educational Institutions Ordinance, 2001.

The bench also sought comments from the education director, summoning him on the next hearing.

The court ordered the school's management to restore the admissions of the expelled students to their original position against the payment of normal tuition fee that was being received before the increment.

As many as 425 petitioners, who are guardians of the students, stated that their children were studying at the school's campuses in Nazimabad and SITE areas, but suddenly, without any prior notice, the management increased the fee. The sudden increase was illegal, they maintained.

They submitted that the school's management expelled many students over non-payment of fees, which was tantamount to depriving children from education. Citing the Sindh chief secretary, directorate of school education, department of education and literacy and The Generation’s School management as respondents, the petitioners pleaded the court to direct the authorities to restrain the school management from increasing the school fee. The bench will take up the matter again on a date that will later be announced by the court office.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 21^st, 2015.