SHC extends stay in private schools fee hike case

The Sindh High Court has extended its earlier interim stay order that restrained private schools from increasing tuition fees by more than five per cent as well as taking action against students whose parents had disputed fee hikes last year.

The court was hearing the petition of Bushra Jabeen, Arshad Fawad, Mohammad Shariq Feroz and 600 other parents who had in 2017 challenged the increase of tuition fees in four private schools.

The petitioners had stated the administrations of their children’s respective schools had increased fees by 12 to 60 percent in violation of the Sindh Private Educational Institutions (Regulation and Control) Ordinance, 2001.

In Wednesday’s hearing, the counsel for the schools said that SHC had already decided the instant case in another petition and that his clients were with satisfied with the judgment, with the exception of one point.

He submitted that the petition be disposed of in light of the SHC’s judgement, which was issued earlier this week. However, the petitioners’ counsel said that they needed time to go through the SHC decision and determine whether this court should take a different opinion on the matter or refer it to the formation of full bench for further hearings.

The SHC division bench headed by Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi adjourned the matter till April 5 and directed the petitioners’ counsel to come prepare so that case be heard and decided then.

The court in the meantime extended the interim stay order barring private schools from increasing fees or taking action against students whose parents were party to the petition. It is pertinent to mention that the high court on March 5 had directed the Sindh government to frame the relevant rules within 90 days, if it wishes to regulate private school fee hikes.