ISLAMABAD: Citizens of federal capital on Monday asked the authority concerned to ensure proper implementation of Supreme Court’s (SC) order for private schools to adjust or refund half of summer vacations fees 2018 to parents.
According to them, the private schools’ administrations have to adjust or refund summer vacations fees, which have received by them from their students by 12th February 2019 under Supreme Court Order.
Zahid Kaleem, a parent said that despite clear order of the Supreme Court, many private school chains operating in the federal capital have yet to implement the court order regarding summer vacations fees as the parents did not observe any change in their policy on summer vacation fees.
He said that although private schools have been given 12th February as the last date to implement the court decision so far they failed to convince the parents about taking any step in this regard despite parents’ repeated appeals.
Another parent, Salim Wahid said “I have received same fee voucher with the same fee amount of my child as I had got before Supreme Court order. I don’t know when they will settle the matter as per court order.”
He said that the honorable court had issued an order on December 13 directing private schools to adjust or refund summer vacation fees however after spending 25 days, the authority concerned did not receive any feedback from these schools on the implementation of the court order in order to satisfy the parents.
When contacted, Chairman Private Educational Institutions Regulatory Authority (PEIRA) Imtiaz Ali Qureshi said that the authority is ready to take action against private schools in case of violation of Supreme Court order.
He added the authority has the power to impose fines of Rs 5000 per day besides withdrawal of school registration and filing contempt petition against private schools
He said that in pursuance of Supreme Court order, all those private schools which have received fee during last summer vacations 2018, have been directed to adjust or refund half of such fees at the earliest but not later than February 12, 2019.
He said that public order has been published in national daily to ask the private schools for implementation of orders of Supreme Court and to inform the parents about such orders. He added the authority will ensure implementation of the court order in true letter and spirit.
He said that the owners of all major private school chains have submitted undertaking on judicial stamp paper except three private school chains to comply the court order. He said that around 1500 registered private schools have been operating in the federal capital while 400 schools are among those which are charging accumulative monthly tuition fee beyond Rs 5000.
Imtiaz Qureshi said, “Legal action will be taken against those schools which will fail to fulfill their assurance on orders of the Supreme Court.”
He said that all those private schools which have failed to register themselves with the authority so far, have been finally reminded to apply for registration, separately for each branch and campus till December 31, 2019, failing which Rs 5000 per day fine will be imposed for illegal operation.
He said that under court order, no school will under any circumstances be closed nor any student be expelled from such schools as well as no student will be placed under any disadvantageous position in term of the fee he or she was paying before the court order. Otherwise, the respective management will be held personally liable for disobeying and disregarding the order of the Supreme Court, he added.