Students in a quandary: PITHM raises courses' fees by 30 percent

The Pakistan Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management (PITHM) has increased by 30 percent its fees for all courses which has created uncertainty among poor students, Business Recorder learnt on Saturday.
PITHM is Sindh government's only institute which provides diplomas, certificates and holds short courses for thousands of students in the fields of hotel, tourism and travel agencies.
According to latest increases, the new fee for 12-week F&B service certificate would be Rs 6300, the fee for Food and Beverages certificate (16 weeks) would be Rs 35,000, fee for F&B Production and Service certificate (24 weeks) would be Rs 25,000, the fee for F&B Operation Advance Diploma (18 months) would be Rs 56,000, fee for F&B Management Diploma (1 year) would be Rs 49,000, fee for Advance Food Production Diploma (1 year) would be Rs 49,000, fee for Continental Cookery Course (8 weeks) would be Rs 8400, fee for Chinese Cookery Course (8 weeks) would be Rs 8400, and fee for Fast Food Course (8 weeks) would be Rs 8400, according to a letter issued in this regard.
Further, new fee for Bakery certificate (8 weeks) would be Rs 8400, fee for Hotel management diploma (18 months) would be Rs 56000, fee for HFO/guest service certificate (16 weeks) would be 8400 fee for HFO/guest service management diploma (1 year) would be Rs 28,000, fee for Guest relations course (16 weeks) would be Rs 8400, fee for Basic housekeeping certificate course (16 weeks) would be Rs 7000, fee for Housekeeping supervisory course (24 weeks) would be Rs 14000, fee for Travel agencies counter service (12 weeks) would be Rs 8400, fee for Travel agency management diploma (1 year) would be Rs 28000, fee for interior decoration and designing course (8 weeks) would be Rs 7000, and fee for the Pakistani sweets certificate (8 weeks) would be Rs 8400, the letter said.
In comparison of enhanced fees, the old fee for F&B service certificate was only Rs 4500, Food and Beverage certificate fee was Rs 25000, F&B Production and service certificate fee was Rs 18000, F&B operation advance diploma's fee was Rs 40000, F&B management diploma fee was Rs 35,000, Advance food production diploma fee was Rs 35,000, Continental cookery course fee was Rs 6000, Chinese cookery course fee was Rs 6000, Fast food course fee was Rs 6000, Bakery certificate course fee was Rs 6000, Hotel management diploma fee was Rs 40000, HFO/guest service certificate fee was Rs 6000, HFO/guest service management diploma fee was Rs 20,000, Guest relations course fee was Rs 6000, Basic housekeeping certificate course fee was Rs 5000, Housekeeping supervisory course fee was Rs 10000, Travel agencies counter service course fee was Rs 6000, Travel agency management diploma fee was Rs 20000, interior decoration and designing course fee was Rs 5000 and Pakistani sweets certificate fee was Rs 6000.
A large number of students studying in PITHM are self-generating boys who are doing jobs in various fields in order to arrange fees of courses, Business Recorder learned.
Taking to this scribe, one student Zohaib Qureshi said that he is doing part-time job in medical field just because he has to pay the fee of course in PITHM. He said that his diploma fee was Rs 40000 which has been raised to Rs 56000, with increase of about 30 percent. "It was very tough job for me to pay Rs 40000 (old fee). Now, I am confused where from I will generate more Rs 16000", he added.
Like Zohaib, there are hundreds of students who are doing part time jobs to pay their fees but they all are now confused with fee increase step take by the authorities of PITHM.
When contacted, the newly-posted Director of PITHM, Abdul Razzaq Qureshi, told Business Recorder that the institute was charging fees of the period of 1967. "That's why I took decision to increase the fees."
He said that all students enrolled in PITHM are financially sound and they can afford the increase in fees, and there is no poor studying in the institute.
It may be noted here that PITHM is first official institute of the country in the industry of Tourism and Hotels which became the property of Sindh government after 44 years of its establishment when Federal government notified devolution of Tourism Ministry in the first week of April 2011.