The National Assembly Standing Committee on Federal Education and Professional Training has expressed serious concerns over the recent increase in private school fees, calling for stricter oversight and greater transparency in the fee appraisal process.
Committee, chaired by Dr. Shazia Sobia Aslam Soomro, criticized Private Educational Institutions Regulatory Authority (PEIRA) for allowing fee hikes not clearly linked to improvements in education, which are assessed across teaching quality, infrastructure, safety, administration, and other core indicators.
Members stressed that fee increases must reflect genuine improvements and should not burden parents. They also highlighted that all school employees, including those in NGO-supported schools, must receive salaries in line with minimum wage laws.
Meanwhile, the committee was briefed that, in pursuance of Pakistan’s obligations under various Articles of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training has undertaken a range of initiatives aimed at ensuring the protection, development, and well-being of children.
These initiatives encompass the provision of free education and transportation, the implementation of school-based meal programs, and the enhancement of national immunization, vaccination, and de-worming efforts to protect children’s health. Additionally, targeted measures have been introduced to support the mental health and emotional well-being of students within the education system.
Authorities such as the Private Educational Institutions Regulatory Authority must enforce transparency and accountability and children’s welfare must remain a central priority even as Pakistan charts its course toward growth and investment.
