SHC stops private schools from charging additional fees

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court on Thursday restrained private schools from receiving additional funds from parents in the name of different programs.

Hearing a petition against increase in the tuition fees by a private school in PECHS locality, the SHC’s division bench, headed by Justice Mohammad Ali Mazhar, inquired from director private schools as to why the private schools were receiving funds and fees in the name of different programs.

The petitioners had submitted that the private school was charging higher tuition fees and receiving funds in name of sports, books and other programmes in violation of the Supreme Court judgment, which had stopped them from increasing the tuition fees beyond 5pc.

The bench observed that private schools were charging fees on the pretext of fees for sports, photostat copies and other programs which was totally unjustified. It questioned the director private schools for not taking action against private schools not complying with the directives of the Supreme Court’s order. The court directed director private schools to address the issue of excessive fees being charged by the private school administration.