LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Tuesday directed the Punjab government to ensure receiving of online complaints moved by parents against fee structure, with directives to education department to run campaign for public awareness.

Justice Shahid Jamil Khan passed the order on petition moved by a number of parents challenging private schools for increasing fee disproportionate to annual percentage permitted under the law.

The petitioners’ counsels contended that Punjab Private Education Institute Act 2016 allowed five to eight per cent annual increase in fee, however, the private schools had not been following the law. They stated the schools had been increasing their fee beyond the permitted limit and making it difficult for parents to get their children educated.  They asked the court to order the government to enforce the relevant law on the private schools.

A senior official of the education department told the court that the government had been implementing the laws and taking action against the delinquent schools on the complaints lodged by the parents.

At this, Justice Khan observed that there should be an online complaint registration system of all private schools for the convenience of parents. He directed the secretary to ensure that the all the schools mentioned their online complaint address on fee vouchers. The judge also ordered the secretary to issue a notification to this effect and launch an awareness campaign.  The private schools’ lawyers also assured the court that the orders would be implemented in letter and spirit.

The court sought a compliance report and put off further proceedings until March 06.