Khyber Pakhtunkhwa private schools fee increase

Parents hit by spiraling fee of UoP run schools
Peshawar, May 17: Despite the promulgation of an ordinance by the provincial government to supervise and regulate the functioning of the private educational institutions, it is yet to be implemented after couple of years. In the wake of the rise in the number of private educational institutions in the province, the governor on Oct 15, 2001, promulgated an ordinance with a view to curtailing the growing trend of establishing private schools in the private sector without fulfilling the prescribed rules for the same.

The ordinance, the North-West Frontier Province Registration and Functioning of Private Educational Institutions Ordinance, 2001, was supposed to streamline the functioning of the private educational institutes in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Neither the rules have been formed nor has a regulatory authority been constituted for conducting its business. The ordinance, also provides for the fee structure, syllabus, uniform, pay-scale and qualification of the teachers, library, laboratory, playground and the area required for the establishment of private school, which if implemented fully would bring much-needed reforms in the education sector.

Meanwhile, it is reported that the semi-government schools affiliated with different universities on the University Campus Peshawar have increased their fees manifold and fleecing the parents. It is further reported that the idea behind the establishment of the University Model School for Girls, University Public School, Islamia Collegiate School and other semi-government institutions on the campus was to provide quality education on reasonable charges to the people of the surrounding areas who had donated spacious land for establishment of the unique campus in the country. But the admission and tuition fees and other charges have now surged to the level of the most expensive private sector schools, the parents complained.

Parents are of the opinion that it had become almost impossible for them to continue the studies of their kids in these institutions. They have demanded o Governor who is also Chancellor of the public sector universities to look into the matter and lower the fees. It merits to mentioning here that there is no provision for annual charges in the Sindh Private Educational Institutions (Regulation & Control) Ordinance, 2001 and the government taking a strong exception to the so-called fee had not only declared the charges unlawful but also asked the provincial education secretary to get them withdrawn and decided that in case private schools had already collected the amount under this head they be directed to either refund or adjust the same against the monthly tuition fee of the students concerned. The practice of 'annual charges' is also very common in the private schools of the province including the schools running under University of Peshawar.

There are so many schools which are not only demanding fee under different heads such as 'annual charges', recreation fee and donations. Moreover, already sent on forced leave, serious allegations of nepotism in appointments, misuse of power and other irregularities have been leveled against Shirinzada Khattak, former registrar of the University of Peshawar. In an open letter to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Owais Ahmad Ghani, who is also the chancellor of Peshawar University, Dr Islam Gul, who has not mentioned his designation and department, stated that the chancellor's directives about removal of Shirinzada could not be implemented.

The letter had also been copied to the editors of various newspapers. Titled "non-compliance of the directives of the chancellor" some serious allegations of nepotism in appointments were leveled in the letter against Shirinzada, who is no more the registrar of the university. In the 22-point letter, the complainant has alleged that Shirinzada during his tenure as registrar recruited dozens of his close relatives on various positions in the university. It is also alleged that Shirinzada had appointment his wife in the bio-technology department, sister in University Model School and nephews, nieces and cousins in various departments of the university. It is reported that the chancellor had already taken notice of the alleged irregularities committed by the registrar due to whom he was sent on forced leave. However, it has been said by the university administration that he was sent on medical leave, whenever media men contact university's spokesman. f.p report

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Primary school teachers to observe black day on 19th
Peshawar: The primary school teachers have announced to observe 'black day' on May 19 against what they called the indifference of the government towards them.

The government has neither increased the salaries of the primary school teachers in view of the surge in prices of daily commodities nor implemented the proposals by the pay and pension committee, said Malik Khalid, provincial president of All Pakistan Primary Teachers Association, in a press statement.

The office-bearer said the primary school teachers across the province would fasten black ribbons around their arms while performing duties to send a message to the government about their grievances.

Malik Khalid said the primary schools teachers had been completely ignored by the government. No optimum increase could be made in their salaries during the last several years, while the prices of daily commodities have gone up by several hundreds percent.

He said around 75,000 people in the province were involved in primary school teaching. When it comes to discipline, the government threatens them with strict actions and other curbs, but no facility is given to them.

The teachers body representative urged the government to accept their demands otherwise they would go on complete strike. He said the government should announce concrete increase in their salaries, provide them other incentives, besides arranging proper facilities at the schools.

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Four students to represent Pakistan at CIMA Global Business Challenge grand final
Karachi: Four students have been shortlisted to represent Pakistan at the CIMA Global Business Challenge grand final to be held in Malaysia on August 5 and 6. The winners were announced at the Pakistan level final held on Saturday at Karachi. The shortlisted team of four students belongs to the Institute of Business Management (IBM), Karachi. Some 16 students participated in Pakistan level final and presented their case studies to a panel of judges from leading business and financial institutions. Their reports were assessed by CIMA on criteria such as focus, prioritisation and diversity of response, as well as the use of recognised business models and technical methods to analyze financial data. Of the four teams, each comprising four students one winning team was shortlisted to attend the global final in August to be held in Malaysia. The news

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Lecturers protest against attack on colleague
Larkana: Lecturers and political parties and social welfare activists took to the streets in Shahdadkot on Saturday in protest against attack on lecturer Saleem Raza Mirani of the local government girls' college.

Led by Arshad Soomro, president of the Sindh Professors and Lecturers Association of Shahdadkot chapter, and Niaz Kalani, protesters assembled at Kotu-Motu chowk, raised slogans against the attackers and called for early arrest of the people nominated in the FIR.

Mr Soomro threatened that delay in arrest would compel the SPLA to take an action which might affect the upcoming practical examinations of Higher Secondary Certificate part-I and II. Viva voce of HSC Part-I and II are starting from May 17.

"I was attacked by over 15 people with sticks and punches while I was coming out from the girls' college on Friday after the last paper of English of HSC Part-II," Saleem Raza Mirani said.

He linked the attack with an exchange of hot words with two persons named Yunis Umrani and Shahid Khoso who had visited the colleges before the start of the examination regarding the admission slip of a candidate. He accused police of giving time to the accused to seek bail before arrest from the court on Monday. Dawn

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