SHC issues contempt notices to DG private schools, four schools

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Monday issued notices to the director general of private schools and the management of four schools on an application seeking contempt of court proceedings against them over non-compliance of its orders with regard to tuition fees.

The petitioners informed the bench that some private schools are still charging exorbitant fee from students despite the court’s directives.

The larger bench comprised Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi, Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Justice Ashraf Jehan.

During the hearing of the case, the court was informed that few schools were not complying with the court orders and still charging exorbitant fee from students.

The court expressed displeasure and issued contempt notices to the four schools and DG private schools for non compliance with the court orders. Replying to a question, the DG private schools told  the court that the record of schools’ fee structure got lost in rains.

The court directed all private schools to comply with the court orders on tuition fee and sought fee structure record from the Sindh government.

Whereas the court ordered DG Private Schools Mansoob Ahmed Siddiqui to appear before the court along with the record on November 19.

Read More: SHC stops private schools from raising tuition fee by over 5pc     

It is pertinent to mention here that the SHC, on September 3, had restrained private schools from increasing their tuition fee by more than five per cent.The court declared more than five per cent increase in tuition fee as illegal.

Earlier, the petitioners had contended in the court that the Sindh government has declared more than five per cent hike in school fee within an academic year as illegal. Some private schools, however, have increased the fee by 10 to 12 per cent, they added.

They pleaded with the court to stop private schools from irrationally and arbitrarily increasing tuition fee.