The Sindh government’s department dealing with privately managed educational institutions across the province has issued the schedule of fee structure for the new academic session 2019-20 after the Sindh High Court’s (SHC) September 3 verdict barring private schools from increasing tuition fees by more than five per cent.
On Monday a three-judge bench of the SHC comprising Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi, Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Justice Ashraf Jehan had ruled that an increase of over five per cent in tuition fees by privately owned schools would be deemed illegal.
The Sindh government also opposed the raise and contended that private schools cannot increase fees without the approval of the competent authority. The court was hearing identical petitions against increase in tuition fees by private schools in violation of the Sindh Private Educational Institutions (Regulation & Control) Ordinance 2001.
However, government officials have vowed to implement the court’s decision at any cost. “I have circulated a notification to all privately owned schools and directed them to strictly follow the rules,” said Dr Mansoob Hussain Siddiqui, director general of the Directorate of Privately Managed Institutions & Inspection, Sindh.
According to Section 7, Clause 3 of the Sindh Private Educational Institutions (Regulation & Control) Ordinance 2001, no school would be allowed to increase tuition fees by more than five per cent without prior approval.
The owners of private schools can submit their applications from January 1 to February 28, 2019 to the directorate for increasing tuition fees of their schools, while the private institutions for O- and A-levels can submit their applications from March 1 to April 30, 2019.
“After the timetable, no application will be accepted,” said Siddiqui. “The directorate has the authority to reject or accept requests from the owners of private schools for fee increment.”
Regarding violation of relevant rules and court orders, the directorate also has the authority to cancel registration of schools. “We shall also inform the examination boards not to conduct examination of any school that has violated the rules.”