Fee deduction: Several private schools not following PEIRA directives

ISLAMABAD: Many of the private schools operating in the federal capital still have not provided 20 percent discount in the fee charges for the months of April and May in wake of closure of schools due to third wave of Covid-19, as per clear the directives of the Private Educational Institutions Regulatory Authority (PEIRA) and the relevant ministry.

The decision of 20 percent reduction in the fee of private educational institutions charging fee above Rs 8,000 was announced by the Federal Minister for Education and Professional Training, Shafqat Mahmood in response to the demand of the parents facing economic hardships and notified on May 3.

The schools who charged monthly or bi-monthly fee were supposed to adjust the 20 percent reduction in the fee charges of the month of June and onward, however, only few schools notified properly and complied with the orders in letter and spirit by providing discount.

“The school management was supposed to notify and inform parents about the fee reduction orders and send the revised fee challan to them at the start of the month of June adjusting the discount for the previous two months (April-May) but they remained silent,” Saqib Ali, a parent of three children said.

“The schools management gave discount of only 5 to 10 percent to those parents of the students who insisted again and again to send the revised fee after adjusting the discount”, he said while talking to APP.

Shaista Amin, a parent of two kids studying in the top-notch school in F-7, said, “No one conveyed us about the discounts being offered from the school management, but I asked them for discount like a beggar and they only reduced Rs 1,000 out of Rs 16,300 after a long argument, saying “we are not fool to give you discount as per PEIRA directive as we have provided you discount at the time of admission”.

The head of the school system is a renowned educationist, influencer and contributing largely to the cause of providing quality education to millions of children, “How could he is so insensitive and unaware of the economic hardships of the parents caused by the unusual circumstances during Covid-19.”