PHC takes notice of high fees by private educational institutions

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Wednesday put on notice provincial government through chief secretary, private educational institutions association's chairman and vice-chancellor of University of Peshawar to submit reply in a writ petition filed against high increase in promotion and tuition fee in private educational institutions.

A two-member bench comprising Justice Waqar Ahmad Seth and Justice Shakeel Ahmad issued notice to the officials concerned in a writ petition filed by Peshawar Bar Association through its president Fazle Wahid.

A team of lawyers including Zulfiqar Khalil Khan, Abbas Khan Sangeen and Fazal Shah Mohmand appeared in the court. They submitted that the private educational institutions had started looting the parents.

The lawyers said the private schools had increased promotion fee of the students from one class to another by 500 percent. Besides, they said, tuition fee was also increased. They said the schools were also collecting fee from the parents for three or two months vacations. Interestingly, they said, parents were also being charged for transportation during vacations despite that students did not use the facility in the vacations.

During hearing, Zulfiqar Khalil submitted that the provincial government had passed the act in which the government had to establish Regulatory Authority for the private educational institutions.

However, he said, no step had been taken by the provincial government so far to appoint chairman and members for the Regulatory Authority as to regulate the affairs of the private educational institutions.

The bench issued notice to the respondents and directed to submit reply before October 25, the date fixed for next hearing of the case. The provincial government through KP chief secretary, secretary Elementary and Secondary Education and secretary Higher Education Department, vice-chancellor and registrar University of Peshawar, chairman, Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education Peshawar and Private Schools Association and other educational institutions were made parties in the petition.