Dateline Report
ISLAMABAD: Parents of children enrolled in upscale private schools in Islamabad have raised concerns over the improper implementation of a fee reduction notification issued by the Private Educational Institutions Regulatory Authority (PEIRA). This directive, aimed at providing financial relief during the coronavirus pandemic, mandates that schools charging over Rs5,000 per month reduce their fees by 20% and only charge monthly fees during the lockdown. However, parents report that schools are not adhering to the notification. One parent shared that although his children’s fees were paid until April 30, he received new fee vouchers for May and June with an April 10 due date. When he did not deposit the fees due to the pandemic, his children were blocked from online classes. Upon contacting the school administration, he was issued a new invoice covering fees until August. Despite the mandated reduction, he was asked to pay four months’ worth of fees in advance, and his children were unblocked only after he paid the fees for May and June.
Another parent highlighted that his daughter’s school openly refused to comply with Peira’s notification. He pointed out that the 20% reduction should be straightforward, yet schools are employing tactics to avoid compliance. Some schools offer the concession only to parents who pay promptly, while others claim the students are already receiving discounted fees. Hamid Khan, a parent who has taken legal action against private schools, urged Peira to enforce the fee reduction uniformly as short-term relief during the pandemic, and to implement the Supreme Court’s 2019 judgment that freezes school fees based on January 2017 rates until new fees are determined.
In response, Peira spokesperson Zafar Iqbal dismissed allegations on social media that the authority is colluding with private schools. He asserted that Peira operates on merit and in accordance with the law, ensuring the 20% fee reduction for schools charging Rs5,000 or more per month and mandating monthly fee collection. He encouraged parents who have not received the concession to lodge complaints with Peira and through the prime minister’s portal. Iqbal noted that the authority receives around 50 fee-related complaints from parents on average and that they contact schools to resolve these issues.
Abdul Waheed, a spokesperson for the Private Schools Association, claimed that schools are providing the 20% discount and collecting fees on a monthly basis. When questioned about parents’ complaints, he responded that the issue is being raised by parents who do not want to pay fees on time, asserting that the discount will be given to those who pay promptly.
