Punjab govt to regularise raise in private school fees

Punjab government has moved a summary to the governor seeking amendment in the Punjab Private Educational Institutions (Promotion and Regulation) Ordinance, 1984 through promulgating an Ordinance to bar private schools charging Rs 4000 as monthly fee from students to annually increase fee at the rate of eight percent and to deal with other purposes.

The Ordinance is being promulgated after receiving complaints from the parents that the private schools are increasing fee at will without any check from the government.

ARY News has obtained a copy of the proposed Ordinance. The Ordinance states that “schools charging fee from a student at the rate of four thousand rupees per month or above shall not charge the fee at a rate higher than eight percent of the fee charged for the class during the previous academic year but this limitation shall not apply to a school which is charging monthly fee from a class of students which less than four thousand rupees per month inclusive of increase in the fee.

It further states “If there is reasonable justification for increase in the existing fee at a rate higher than eight percent in a school mentioned in subsection (1), the Incharge may, at least three months before the commencement of the next academic year, apply to the Registering Authority.”

According to proposed Ordinance the Registering Authority shall, within thirty days from the receipt of the application for increase in fee, take appropriate decision and inform the applicant of the decision taken.

Sources claimed that Punjab Chief Minister has sent the summary to the Punjab Governor for promulgating an Ordinance. The Governor the stated to promulgate the Ordinance immediately after the ongoing provincial assembly session would be prorogued.