Parents of schoolchildren in Karachi have joined hands to fight huge increase in fees of private schools, saying the government is not interested to take care of the genuine rights of parents and rein in private schools that are bent to loot citizens. Pakistan Muslim League (Q) Sindh President Haleem Adil Sheikh has said that it was direly needed that there should be a union of parents of schoolchildren to defend their due rights and interests, they have formed such a union to safeguard the interests of parents.
He was addressing a press conference at Karachi Press Club. He said that the Sindh government even does not know the number of private schools in the province. He said the excesses of private schools with the parents have crossed all limits. He said as there are unions of schoolteachers and owners of the private schools, so we are announcing a union of the parents and we will support it at every step. Sheikh said the private schools have become like an unruly horse. He said they would continue to remain in contact with this parents' union and fight for their rights. He said the government authority to check private schools has even no chairman. There is a mafia that has been befouling people by giving fake reports that all is well. He said the education sector instead of working for a bright future of children has become a profit making machine. He said the raise in fees after every three months and hefty admission fees have become an unbearable burden for poor parents. He said heavy amounts are being demanded in the garb of lab, sports and PT charges.
PML leader said that vans of private schools are ticking bombs due to their dangerous gas cylinders. They said the association of school vans following the footsteps of private school mafia has also increased their fees. He said increase in fees of private schools by Rs 2,000 to Rs 5,000 per month is a huge burden on pockets of parents. He said sudden increase in fees of all private schools and tuition centres in the country is a grave conspiracy against parents. However, the rulers have failed to rein in the owners of private schools.
He said the parents do not send their children to government schools because of pathetically poor standard of them. The government has never taken efforts to raise standard of its schools. He said this is why despite spending funds of billions of rupees half of the government schools are closed but there is no one to take notice of this injustice. He said for last 25 years major portion of education budget goes to the pockets of corrupt officials. He said the owners of private schools are not ready to listen to even the Prime Minister. He said poor parents have already been facing a lot of problems due to price hike and joblessness and they should be more burdened. He said the failing education system is the country is in fact the failure of the rulers.