KARACHI: All Private Schools Management Association (APSMA) has stated that they respect the judiciary but have their own ‘reservations’ over the Sindh High Court order regarding up to five per cent annual increase in school fee.

“We have constantly been trying to explain our side to the authorities concerned and high court to allow us to raise the fee from 10 to 15 per cent and with due reason such as salaries of teachers and building rent, which is raised by 10 to 15 per cent every year.

“Then there are also things increasing further expenses such as buying generators and the fuel to run them because of the frequent power breakdowns, commercial bills for water and water from tankers when it is not supplied through the line connection. There is also the salary of private guards to be considered as their presence is also needed for security reasons.

“Inflation is another big issue that the schools face when buying miscellaneous items of everyday need, which get more and more expensive with the passing of time just like the increase in all kinds of taxes.

“About 80pc of the children here are being educated through the private sector and yet we are doing it without getting any kind of grant or help from the government. Delivering quality education is neither easy nor cheap.

“Back in 2005, the former education minister of the province Nisar Khuhro got our point of view too when we explained to him the issues on our side. He had even agreed to a 10pc increase in fees for private schools due to this. There were even news items published regarding the matter but the notification about it never came. So despite a 13 to 15pc increase in the price of goods and services due to inflation the private schools are still being forced to follow a 13-year-old ordinance according to which they can only increase students’ fee by five per cent.

“Therefore in these circumstances offering quality education will pose a huge challenge for our schools and the children will suffer as a consequence of this,” the statement read.

Some other private schools, including the Mama Baby Care Schools, have also stated that they would challenge the SHC’s decision and the notification from the education department in the Supreme Court.

They have appealed to the Chief Justice of Pakistan to kindly take notice of their issue.

Quoting the SHC’s order on the matter of high school fees charged by private schools, the Sindh education department earlier this week said that the private schools which had increased tuition fees by more than five per cent would have to return the extra-charged amount.

According to the education department, those schools that will not return the extra money to parents/guardians of students will have their registration cancelled.

Earlier this month, SHC barred private schools from increasing their tuition fee by more than five per cent.

A three-judge larger bench of the SHC comprising Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi, Justice Mohammad Ali Mazhar and Justice Ashraf Jehan announced their judgement on pleas filed by parents regarding the increase in school fee.

An increase of more than five per cent intuition fee charged by schools is illegal, the bench had ruled.

Published in Dawn, September 15th, 2018