Private schools increase fee despite PSRA notification

Reported by Daily Dawn on 15 Feb 2021, different private schools in Khyber Pakhunkhwa have increased school monthly tuition fee despite the closure of schools from eight months to one year since the pandemic outbreak in Khyber PakhunKhwa (KP). The report suggest that by increasing the the monthly tuition fee, such educational institutions have also violated instructions of Private Schools Regulatory Authority (PSRA) issued to them in July, 2020.  “There shall be no increase in the fee this year (2020),” reads the notification issued by PSRA. The notification was approved in the 12th meeting of the authority. According to Dawn the PSRA had taken the decision of not increasing fee in light of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Epidemic Control and Emergency Relief Ordinance, 2020. Efforts have been underway by parents to force  private schools to withdraw the decision without any success. An official in PSRA told daily Dawn that the authority was helpless in the existing shape before the powerful and influential owners of the private schools as it had no powers to implement its decision. He said that the authority could impose fine up to Rs20,000 on schools for violation of PSRA Act and Rs10, 000 for violation of its regulations. The fine under the Act and regulations became double for violation on second time according to law.