Education dept tells private schools not to charge fee in advance

The Sindh Education Department, under the directive of Additional Director Rafia Javed, on Tuesday instructed private schools not to charge advance or extra fees beyond the specified timeline.

Officials stated that on the orders of Sindh Education Minister Syed Sardar Ali Shah, the Directorate of Inspection and Private Institutions issued a circular outlining the new fee collection guidelines. According to the decision made by the Steering Committee, the academic year 2025-26 would commence on April 1, 2025, while matriculation examinations are set to begin on March 15, 2025.

To ease financial pressure on parents and students, tuition fees for matriculation students should only be collected up to April 2025. For students promoted from pre-primary to Class IX and those moving from Class IX to Class X, fees for June and July 2025 might be charged during April and May 2025, respectively.

The circular further mandated that separate fee vouchers must be issued for each month. Vouchers forJune would remain valid until June 30, 2025, and vouchers for July until July 31, 2025.

The circular reads: "All principals and administrators of privately managed schools in Sindh are directed to adhere strictly to these guidelines to ensure transparency and financial relief for parents. Failure to comply will result in strict action." The directives were to be implemented immediately, with strict compliance required from all private educational institutions in the province.