ISLAMABAD: Hundreds of parents staged a protest demonstration on Sunday against owners of private school for charging outrageous school fees and appealed to the prime minister to take notice of the issue.
Under the banner of Pakistan Parents, the protestors gathered in front of the National Press Club where they held banners and placards and said that in 2016, the Private Educational Institutions Regulatory Authority (Peira) had framed new rules and capped fees which were not being followed.
According to the 2016 rules, the upper limit for monthly fee for matric, FA and F.Sc was Rs 8,350 while that for O and A-levels was Rs 12,525. Peira had decided that if the schools wanted to increase their fee, the operators will have to convince the regulatory body.
However, private school owners later protested that the rules were unjustified, filed cases in court and got a decision in their favour.
A parent shared that the private schools are not only charging exorbitant fees at their own will, they are also asking parents to submit affidavits that they will not challenge the fee.
The parents urged the chief justice to bring together all fee-related cases in various courts and announce a comprehensive decision, adding that due to long stay orders and pending litigation, school operators are free to do as they please.
The protestors said private school owners should not be part of academic authorities as that is a conflict of interest. They appealed to the prime minister to form a special task force for the private education sector and protect their rights.
