Parents Demand Action Against Private Schools

Residents of Rawalpindi and Islamabad are urging Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz to intervene and bring regulation to the fee structures of private educational institutions. Parents argue that these schools are exploiting families financially without proper oversight.

They highlight that enrolling children in private institutions has become nearly impossible for average-income households due to a wide array of charges, ranging from admission and security fees to monthly tuition, lab, examination, maintenance, health charges, ID issuance, and even grade-level change costs. Many parents blame the lack of government regulation for allowing schools to act unchecked.

“While some institutions skip admission fees, their monthly dues are unreasonably high,” said one parent. At the same time, gaining access to federal government schools is difficult, and many believe the quality of education in Punjab’s public schools is unsatisfactory.

The Private School Parents Association, supported by civil society activists, has organized protests, demanding a transparent and enforceable system to oversee school fee structures and prevent financial exploitation.

“Parents are treated like ATMs,” said Tasleem Satti, whose daughter attends a private school. She criticized the requirement to buy costly uniforms and textbooks exclusively from school-approved outlets. According to her, the Private Educational Institutions Regulatory Authority (PEIRA) has failed to take meaningful action, and complaints to the Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) have yielded no results.

Another parent, Asma Saeed, voiced similar frustration, accusing school owners of unjustified annual fee hikes. “They operate like a cartel,” she said, emphasizing the undue burden placed on families through arbitrary charges for books and supplies.

Concerns have also been raised about a well-known private college demanding early payments for the next academic session before current-year exams have even concluded or roll numbers issued. This move has caused distress among parents who feel forced to pay in advance without confirmation of their children’s academic status. With few alternatives and no mid-year transfer options, families feel trapped.

Parents have outlined a series of demands for reform, including the reduction and regulation of monthly tuition fees, a clear explanation of annual charges, freedom to purchase uniforms and supplies from vendors of their choice, elimination of hidden costs, and flexible fee payment options such as cheques, credit cards, and pay orders.

While some school representatives acknowledged the rising concerns, they also pointed to the financial pressures of operating educational institutions. “Managing a school comes with its own set of challenges, and we recognize that affordability is a growing issue for families,” said one administrator.

Despite these acknowledgments, many parents remain unconvinced. They continue to ask: If neither public nor private institutions offer accessible and quality education, where can we send our children?