Daily Times

LAHORE: Parents of students studying at private schools along with representatives of civil society held protest against fee hike under the banner of Parents Action Committee here on Thursday outside Lahore Press Club.

The protest was attended by large number of activists from civil society, parents and students wearing their school uniforms. Parents and students were holding placards and banners while chanting slogans against private school administration, government and other departments.

They also demanded Chief Justice of Pakistan to take notice of fee hike in schools just like he did in medical college’s fee hike case. Government should ensure that every private school is providing free education to 10 percent of the students, they said.

Parents and students demanded that the government should take notice of increase in fee of private schools. They also asked the government to form regulatory body which will be responsible for matters like fee hike and other charges. They said that the government had given free hand to private schools as no one is there for helping them in this important matter.

They also suggested that a regulatory body having parents as members should control many issues including the decision of annual fee hike, eliminating all irrelevant columns from fee voucher, especially the discount column and increase net fee value of the fee as per law; audit rule should be implemented at all private educational entities/groups by government regulatory authority, school should not force parents to purchase uniforms, books, and stationery from pre-specified shops or school counters.