ISLAMABAD – The management of private institutes in the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi are imparting low quality education.
Survey conducted by APP has found that normally, no strict admission criteria is observed by these schools and anyone who can afford the hefty fees can get his or her child admitted at any stage throughout the academic year. Parents have expressed reservations against private schools. They complain of expensive fees, inefficient teaching faculty, substandard education, and poor playground facilities for students and overcharges by the school management on various pretexts.
“We are asked to purchase textbooks and notebooks from the school bookshop. School supplies are sold at the school at higher rates than the market,” said Tahir Ali, parent of a private school student. “You won’t believe that the school charged me Rs 1000 for participating in the annual parents day and later charged Rs 500 because the management had arranged a bus for the students to bring them to the ceremonial hall. The students were also forced to buy a small sticker to paste on their notebooks,”he said.
Another parent Asif Shah told APP private schools are operating in every nook and corner of the city and many businessmen have started looking at the education sector as a lucrative venture. Besides demandi~g hefty fees, these schools adopt different ways to mint money and exploit the parents. However, the main reason for the growing private schools’ business is the absence of laws and statutory provisions to check the activities of private schools and protect the interests of the students. 
Shahzad Waseem, office-bearer of the private school management association, claimed that the concern authority was drafting the law unilaterally and the representatives of private schools were not being asked for their suggestions and recommendations. However, the owners of these0centres claimed that they provide quality education and study material to the students and screen them frequently.
INP adds: All Pakistan Private Schools Management Association (APPSMA) has decided to move court on December 31 against Rawalpindi Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (RBISE) for charging Rs 550 as certificate fee from SSC candidates. According to sources, the association made the decision on the demands of the students, parents, teachers and persons from social circles.
It is quite relevant to mention here that all the education boards of Punjab started charging fee for the Matric certificate from the candidates in advance with the admission fee. Students and parents expressed their concerns on the decision but the boards did not reverse the decision. Eventually, the private schools management association decided to move court in this regard. Earlier, the association was also successful in earning permission for the private candidates to appear in Matric examinations with science subject.