Record increase in private colleges, schools fee upset parents

ISLAMABAD: A large number of private colleges, schools in the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi have enhanced their fee with the start of new academic year perturbing the parents already worried owing to price-hike, increase in electricity charges and other services.

There may be some rules and legal provisions for the monitoring the affairs of private educational institutions, but the students and their parents have been unable to get due relief.

The private colleges and schools always take their decisions at own and enhance the tuition fee, security and other charges putting extra burden every year on the parents, said a mother on the condition of anonymity who was forced to pull her son out of a school in view of enhanced fee.

She informed that several parents have been forced to look other options as a number of private educational institutions have increased their fees.

Parents are not satisfied with colleges and schools as their managements have been demanding for monthly tuition fees in advance and for the payment of tuition and other fees under the new and upward revised tariff, Khalid Iqbal, father of a student said.

Private schools unabatedly go for unilateral 20 to 40 per cent increase in tuition fees every year, in addition to the amounts charged under various heads, but the regulatory authority never seemed moving against them.

Be it the collection of fees, observance of academic calendar and holidays, measures by most of private schools appear to a mockery of government rules, said a couple of parents perturbed over the demand by schools that even monthly fees during summer vacations be paid in advance, otherwise, students would not be allowed to sit in exams or their results would be withheld.

A group of parents informed that some famous private educational institutional have also increased admission fee up to Rs.45, 000 to Rs.50, 000 despite enhancement in the tuition fee.

On the other hand, the admission in the governments quality educational institution has also become a daunting task for the parents and called for setting up a check and balance system to save the future of an estimated 150,000 students, who are getting education in these private schools in the city.

There are more than 900 private schools in the city, which can be categorized as chains of schools governed by well-off quarters having connections with political or ruling elites and business groups, community schools and those run by welfare bodies, educational trusts or individuals with commercial aptitudes.

Copyright APP (Associated Press of Pakistan), 2011