ISLAMABAD: Senate orders private schools to immediately reverse unauthorized and unjustified fee hike,, warning institutions of enforcing the official fee regulation policy.
The order was issued at a Monday meeting of the committee presided over by Senator Bushra Anjum Butt, where members expressed serious concern over reports of “uncontrolled fee increases” by some expensive private schools.
It is reported that some schools had increased their fees by up to 12 percent, much higher than the 5 to 8 percent annual limit mandated under the Private Educational Institutions Regulatory Authority (PEIRA) rules.
Senator Bushra Anjum Butt stated that schools that take Rs50,000 or more per month should revise their fee challans forthwith in line with PEIRA’s 2021 notification. She also ordered that a revised list of schools violating the cap be presented to the committee forthwith.
PEIRA representatives reiterated that no private school can compel parents to buy books or uniforms from particular suppliers, deeming the practice exploitative and illegal.
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The Senate committee stressed that the education sector should function within regulatory boundaries, keeping affordability, fairness, and transparency in view. It also called for PEIRA to hold strict measures against institutions found breaching the fee policy to safeguard parents from cost burden and sustain the public’s faith in private schooling.
