Fee hike forcing parents to pull children out of private schools

The constant increase in fee of private schools in the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi has forced the parents to pull their children out of schools.

A grade-19 officer of Civil Service of Pakistan (CSP) income tax group, who wished to remain unnamed, told Pakistan Today that the administration of a leading chain of private schools had asked him to deposit Rs 100,000 as two-month fee for his two kids.

He told the administration that he does not have the amount and consequently had to pull his children out of the school. The frustrated official said it was next to impossible for him to pay his kids’ fees anymore, as the school demanded extra money every month.

Haris Ahmed, assistant professor at a public school and college in Islamabad, told Pakistan Today that education up to Matric/O-level is free at public schools; therefore parents should enroll their children in government schools to save money.

He said that people have misconception about the standard of public sector schools and colleges, adding that the teachers of public sector are more competent and well-trained than those of the private schools.

Bashir Ahmad, another lecturer at a public school in Islamabad, said that private schools charge heavy fee from parents who already live hand to mouth. He said that parents cannot afford the fee of private schools, adding that there is little difference in the curriculum of private and public schools; so parents should get their children admitted to public schools.

Sarwar Abbasi, a fruit vendor, said that like the children of the affluent, he too wishes he could admit his kids to a leading private school but he cannot afford the high fees of private schools.

Rasheed Gujjar, owner of a garment store in Rawalpindi, pulled his three children out of a private school and got them admitted to a public school. I used to pay Rs. 3,000 fee monthly to the previous school, while in a public school, I don’t even have to pay a penny, he remarked.

Under the newly-passed Private Educational Institutions Bill 2015, private schools could not raise fee up to 5 per cent annually and will have to take prior approval of government before raising the fee.

All Pakistan Private School Federation (APPSF) and Pakistan Education Council (PEC) had kept all private schools closed in the Punjab province on March 8-9 in a bid to stop the provincial government from interfering in the educational institutions’ affairs.

Most parents are worried about the hike in fee by private schools; but the scattered parents could not raise their voice collectively due to absence of a joint platform, Moeen Khan, whose two children study at the City School in Islamabad told Pakistan Today.

According to the document available with Pakistan Today, private schools educate more than 50 per cent of children in Pakistan, and nearly 60 per cent in Punjab.

“There are 173,110 private schools all over Pakistan, where about 23,839,431 students are studying,” the documents stated. In addition, it said that approximately 1500,000 teachers work at these schools.

Kashif Mirza, President PPSF said: “APPSF rejects Punjab Private Educational Institutions Bill. Mirza said that private schools were treated as fully commercial entities by the government, which pay 33 per cent income tax, 17 per cent GST, 3 per cent Super Tax, 6 per cent social security and heavy property commercialisation fees and others.

Both the bodies representing the private schools threatened to continue their protest if the government fails to amend the law and address their concerns.

However, Moeen Khan said that the concerned government departments are reluctant to take action against the powerful mafia of private schools.

Mujeeb Sheikh, an educationist, said that only the parents and their children would suffer owing to the ongoing wrangling between the Punjab government and private schools’ association, therefore the issue needs to be resolved immediately.