Private schools warned against forcing parents to buy notebooks, stationery from specific outlets

The Directorate of Inspection and Registration of Private Institutions Sindh (Dirpis) on Wednesday warned the owners and administrators of privately-managed schools not to force the parents and children to purchase printed cover notebooks, registers, practical journals, school uniforms, and books from them or specific outlets.

Dirpis said students could not be expelled from schools because of unpaid fees without the permission of the directorate. It reminded that corporal punishment was not allowed and in violation, the schools may lose their registration.

School owners have also been barred from collecting money from students for celebrating any special day including Mother's and Father's days. Private schools also cannot change uniforms without the approval of the registration authority.

According to Dirpis Registrar Rafia Javed, the decision has been taken in view of the complaints received from the parents and students. A circular has been issued to all the principals and administrators of private schools for strict compliance with a warning that severe action will be taken against those not following the rules. The private schools can only give stickers showing the names of the educational institutions to the parents to be pasted on the cover of school copies, registers and journals.

The parents and students cannot be forced to purchase uniforms, school bags, books and other stationery items from the school or any particular shop. The lists of textbooks, notebooks, practical journals and other stationery items should be given to the students at the time of admissions instead of asking them for money to purchase the said items from the school.

She said that the students were not bound to buy such items from their schools, and parents had the right to purchase stationery, books, and schoolbags from the open market.

She pointed out that sometimes school owners asked for money for celebrating Mother's Day, Flower's Day, Colour Day, Mango Day, Music day, and other such days, and such ceremonies became a burden for parents. The school administrators were strictly ordered not to collect money in the name of celebrating special days, she added.

The circular reads: “the schools should issue monthly fee vouchers to the students or collect monthly fee instead of quarterly or bimonthly. However, two-month fee voucher may be issued to the parents who intend to deposit the fee for more than one month at their own discretion.”

The schools can collect only approved fee from the students but they would display the approved fee on the school's notice board and reception while parent will have the right to receive approved vouchers on demand, the circular read.

In addition, private school owners would not change uniforms before five years. However, if any of the private schools changed uniform, the administration would first seek the permission of the directorate.

Private schools should allow fee concession to at least 10 per cent of deserving students and award scholarships to meritorious students of the total strength of the students as per the rule 13 of the Sindh Educational Institutions Act 2005.

Rafia said the directorate can take action against the parents and students if they did not pay school fee for more than three months. She added that in case of any complaint lodged by the parents with the directorate, students could not be expelled from the school till the inquiry related to the complaint was finalised.

She said that no penalty should be received from the students in case they paid their fees late. The parents should be issued at least two warning letters and given an opportunity to hear them in person before taking action. In case of an unsatisfactory explanation of the parents, the names of their wards may, however, be struck off from the roll of the school under the intimation to the directorate.