Private schools in KP ordered to return vacations fee

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtonkhwa government has issued directives to private schools to return vacations’ fee collected from the students, ARY News reported Friday.

The directives were issued by the Private Schools Regulatory Authority Khyber Pakhtonkhwa.

The notification, issued in this regard, called upon schools to return fee of winter and summer vacations to parents. The order further said no service charges should be collected as well.

Read: Quality difference between private, government schools on the rise: SC

Strict action will be taken against schools found flouting the order, the notification added.

Recently, in a case regarding fee hike by private schools, the Supreme Court remarked that a difference in quality of education by private and government-run schools was increasing with each passing day.

During the hearing, Chief Justice Asif Saeed Khosa sought complete details from lawyer of the Khyber Pakhtonkhwa private schools. “We need report of each school in the KP and it is possible that we may order inspection of all the schools,” remarked the CJP.

The lawyer said he had prepared a report regarding provision of free education in the province. The court responded that people were moving towards private education due to lack of quality and facilities in government education system.

Advocate Faisal Siddiqui, representing the parents who petitioned in the apex court for reduction of schools fee, said the society couldn’t be sacrificed due to interest of a handful of people.