PHC orders for strict action against protesting private schools, sealing of accounts     

PESHAWAR: A division bench of Peshawar High Court (PHC), while taking strong notice of strike by private schools against fresh fee regulations by their regulator, has directed for strict action besides sealing the accounts of the schools.

The private schools remained closed in KP on Monday and Tuesday as a protest against the regulations issued by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Private Schools Regulatory Authority.

KP Private Schools Regulatory Authority recently released its regulations directing private schools not to charge more than half of the tuition fee from the second and third children of the same parents. Also, it allowed the schools to increase tuition fee three percent annually and charge only 50 percent tuition fee during summer vacation.

The division bench of PHC, comprising of Justice Waqar Ahmad Seth and Justice Muhammad Ayub, while hearing a writ petition regarding charging of high fees by private schools, directed the KP PSRA to take action against protesting private schools.

The court also ordered for taking over administrative control of the private schools and sealing of their accounts.

Managing Director KP PSRA, Zafar Ali Shah appeared and apprised the bench that court orders are not being implemented by private schools who are charging old fees.

The PHC directed MD KP PSRA to ensure implementation of court order in one month time.

Meanwhile, parents of students studying in private schools are also staging protest processions against owners of the school for not honoring court orders.

The protesting parents have highly hailed PHC and KP PSRA for taking action against private school owners who are fleecing people in the name of education by charging exorbitant fees and other expenditure in shape of fines.

They requested the court to ensure implementation of its ruling and initiate contempt of court proceedings against private school owners for not implementing the order.