The curious case of school fees

After the Islamabad High Court prevented schools from collecting summer vacation fee, a number of schools resorted to other mean tactics like withholding exam results compelling parents to deposit the fee. However, the Private Educational Institutions Regulatory Authority’s (PEIRA) timely action of publishing warning notices and approaching the Islamabad administration asking them to ensure compliance of the court’s orders in letter and spirit foiled the private schools initiative of blackmailing parents. Not content with all these actions going against them, some of these private schools are now contemplating not to pay their teachers for the summer vacations with an illogical stance of ‘no teaching, no fees no pay’.

These pressure tactics being adopted by the private schools owners will be counterproductive as it will compel the teaching community to take to the streets against the onslaught of these businessmen who mint money in the name of spreading education. Before the private schools owners deprive them of a source of their livelihood, the PEIRA to make sure and take pre-emptive measures to deal with the situation that may take an ugly turn if left unheeded.

Group Captain (r) Saeed Nawaz Khan

Rawalpindi