SC reserves verdict in private school fee case

F.P. Report

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Thursday reserved its verdict on a number of petitions pertaining to education institutions and increase in tuition fee.

Chief Justice of Pakistan Asif Saeed Khan Khosa, who headed a three-member bench of the apex court, reserved the verdict after counsels for all parties to the case concluded their arguments.

Over the course of the hearing, Justice Khosa questioned whether the court should fix fee after examining resources of private schools. “It is not the duty of courts to fix tuition fee,” he clarified.

He said the apex court would examine if private schools’ matters are in consonance with the law and Constitution.

Earlier, on May 8, the chief justice had observed that the owners of private educational institutions have reservations about the relevant law, why they do not press the government for bringing changes to it.

Advocate Shahid Hamid, who represented a private school, argued that it is not the job of court to make changes in the law but the legislature.

He said they are not against the process of regulating the private schools but fixing a specific ratio for increasing fee is illogical.

At this the chief justice said if the management of private schools opposed five per cent increase in the fee, they should approach the government to have their grievance redressed.