PESHAWAR: The private schools have increased monthly tuition fee despite the closures of educational institutions for eight months in one year since the outbreak of pandemic in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

By increasing the monthly tuition fee, the educational institutions have also violated instructions of Private Schools Regulatory Authority (PSRA) issued to them in July, 2020, according to sources.

“There shall be no increase in the fee this year (2020),” reads the notification issued by PSRA. The notification was approved in the 12th meeting of the authority.

Several parents told Dawn that they had been running from pillar to post, requesting the authorities at the helm of affairs to force the private schools to withdraw the decision of increasing fee but in vain.

Parents running from pillar to post to get it reversed

They said that private schools owners were the ultimate beneficiaries of the pandemic as they had not only received tuition fee from the students without holding regular classes but also increased tuition fee from October, 2020.

“Is it justice to charge and increase tuition fee when the students have not attended the schools for eight months since March 2020,” a parent questioned.

Like other parts of the country, in the first phase of Covid-19, the educational institutions remained closed for six months from March to September 2020.

In the second wave of pandemic, the educational institutions were closed again for more than two months from November 26 till January 31.

Sources told Dawn that in PSRA had taken the decision of not increasing fee in light of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Epidemic Control and Emergency Relief Ordinance, 2020.

“All the instructions conveyed through the notification are to be strictly followed in letter and spirit by all concerned,” reads the notification.

However, the private schools have not followed the instructions of PSRA and increased tuition fee from October last.

The parents learnt about the increase when the students were handed over fee slip in February after the schools were reopened during the second wave of the pandemic, they said.

“PSRA has brought no relief to the parents in term of regularising affairs of the private schools since its establishment in 2017,” sources in elementary and secondary education department told Dawn.

They said that first the proposed law for the establishment of PSRA faced long delay but after strong criticism and demand of the parents, the previous PTI-government passed a toothless KP Private Schools Regulatory Authority 2017.

An official in PSRA told Dawn that the authority was helpless in the existing shape before the powerful and influential owners of the private schools as it had no powers to implement its decision.

He said that the authority could impose fine up to Rs20,000 on schools for violation of PSRA Act and Rs10, 000 for violation of its regulations.

The fine under the Act and regulations became double for violation on second time, he added.

The official said that the fine was just a peanut for the owners of private schools as they earned in millions each month and the authority failed to implement its decisions in such a situation.

For implementation of its decision, in March 2020, PSRA proposed major amendments to the law including increase in the amount of fine up to Rs1 million but the provincial government failed to amend the law due to pressure from the owners of private schools in the province.

The acting managing director of PSRA and special secretary of elementary and secondary education department, retired Capt Shahbaz Nadeem, was not available for comments.

Published in Dawn, February 15th, 2021