Daily Times

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC), on Monday, sought details of fee structure from 2005 onwards from private schools, as it resumed hearing pleas filed by parents against exorbitant private school fees.

Expressing annoyance at the failure of some schools to abide by its orders prohibiting unreasonable fee hikes, the court sought details of action taken against the schools in question.

“Tell us what action has been taken against which schools and when?” inquired the SHC bench during the hearing. Upon being told that some private schools were collecting fee for up to four months in advance, the court asked how lower-middle and middle classes would afford to pay the combined fee. “Parents are worried, who will listen to them?” the court asked counsel representing private schools.

The private schools’ counsel informed the bench that some of the schools’ licenses had been suspended and they had been ordered to deposit the additional fee to the Supreme Court (SC) registry.

The Sindh High Court then summoned a collective response from the director-general of private schools detailing the fee structure and any unapproved hikes from the year 2005 onward. The court also warned of strict action if any excesses were found in the fee structure charged by private schools. Furthermore, the bench warned that it would initiate contempt proceedings if its orders are not obeyed. The hearing was then adjourned till December 3.

Earlier on September 3, the SHC prohibited private schools from increasing their tuition fees by more than five percent. A three-judge larger bench comprising Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi, Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Justice Ashraf Jehan had ruled that private schools could not increase tuition fees by more than five percent annually. The court had also barred private schools across Sindh from charging late fee surcharges and additional fees onto existing school fees.

Last week, the Sindh government had suspended registration of the City School and Beaconhouse over their failure to comply with court orders over the fee hike.

Published in Daily Times, November 20^th 2018.