Sindh High Court orders action against private schools raising fee by more than 5pc

The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Monday ordered the director general of private schools association to take action against schools raising fee by more than five per cent.

During the hearing today, the court remarked that schools not complying with court orders should close.

The court also sought details from private schools about ‘additional’ fee they had earlier collected and later returned to students.

The SHC directed the director general of private schools association to continue implementation of court orders against fee hike by private schools.

The court asked DG private schools about possible actions he could initiate.

“We can impose a fine and send violator to jail for up to six months.”

Justice Ashraf Jehan remarked: “It appears as if doing nothing is the only qualification you have and that’s the reason you are on this authority.”

The hearing was adjourned till February 25.

On Dec 13 last year, the then Chief Justice Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar ordered all private schools across Pakistan to cut down their fees while instructing Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to freeze the accounts of at least two schools.

The case of exorbitant fees charged by private schools was heard at the Supreme Court where the then chief justice directed FIA to freeze bank accounts of Lahore Grammar School (LGS) and the Beaconhouse School System (BSS) while further giving orders to the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to initiate investigation against both the schools.

During one of the hearings at the SHC in November last year, the court had 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 had claimed before the court that the record of schools’ fee structure lost in rains.