Fee concessions: Private schools give in to PHC, KPPSRA directives

PESHAWAR: Agreeing to comply with the orders of the Peshawar High Court (PHC) and directives of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Private Schools Regulatory Authority (KPPSRA), the private schools have announced that the fee challan for June should be considered as 50 percent fee for June and July.

On Friday, a team of KPPSRA visited the Beacon House School and Qadims Lumiere in view of increasing complaints from the parents. The management of the schools gave written clarification that the court decision and the KPPSRA circular would be implemented.

As per the clarifications, the concessions would be given to the students in accordance with the directives of the court and the KPPSRA. Talking to The News, KPPSRA Managing Director Zafar Ali Shah said that he had an exchange of arguments with the management of both the schools.

“Initially, they were not ready to accept the directives. Later they agreed and gave in writing that the full fee charged for June would be considered as half fee for June and July. The students would now give fee for August,” he maintained.

Qadims Lumiere in its written clarification addressed to parents said: “It is to inform you all that the fee slips which we have issued yesterday, consider that as fifty percent both for June and July, 2018. Siblings concession is also applicable.”

The Beacon House School stated: “There appears to be some misunderstanding in regard to the challans that have been complained against by some parents. We attach one of these challans by way of sample. It will be noticed that it is not the challan for the month of June. It is Summer Challan 1, which covers 50 percent of the fee for the month of June and July 2018 in strict compliance with the Peshawar High Court order dated 08.11.2017.”

There have been complaints that the City Schools, the Educator School system and some other schools have also issued similar challans to the students. According to Yasir Hassan, the director operations of KPPSRA, they have already sent a letter to the management of the City Schools and were waiting for their response.

“If they failed to submit a reply by Monday morning, our officials would pay a visit to the school and take necessary action against them in case of non-compliance,” he said. He added that the KPPSRA had received complaints against Warsak Model School and it would also be visited on Monday to ensure compliance of the court orders and the authority’s directives.

The official said parents had been urged to lodge complaints against the schools that are reluctant to obey the court orders. Zafar Ali Shah said the district administrations in all the districts have been asked to ensure the implementation of the fee concessions.

He said the district administrations in various districts had appointed focal persons for implementation of the KPPSRA directives. The official said assistant commissioner (headquarters) was the focal person for Peshawar district.

He said the parents can lodge complaints with him and he would take action against the schools. He said the parents in other districts can approach the assistant commissioners and complain against the schools that were not giving fee concessions to the students. The private schools were waiting for the appeal they had filed in the Supreme Court to overturn the decision of the PHC. However, the Supreme Court in its proceedings overturned their plea for interim relief to grant stay on the order of the PHC.