Govt to take action against private schools, violates court orders regarding fees increase: Shafqat

ISLAMABAD, Sep 24 (APP):Federal Minister for Education and Professional Training Shafqat Mahmood on Tuesday warned that the government would take strict action against those private schools who violated the supreme court orders regarding increase in fees.

Addressing a Press Conference here at the 4th Inter-Provincial Ministers Conference (IPMC) Forum, he said it was the duty of federal and provincial governments to ensure the implementation of Apex Court decision about private schools fees.

He also ensured that the Supreme Court Orders regarding increase in fees by private sector educational institutions would be implemented in true manners. As per court decision, he said, the fees structure of 2017 can be increased only five percent by next two years.

It was the responsibility of government to ensure the implementation of court orders regarding increase of fees by private sector schools and colleges, Shafqat said.

The provincial chief secretaries had been briefed in today’s IPMC meeting about the implementation of decisions taken by the federal government regarding religious seminaries, he added.

He called for bringing uniformity in the educational years, saying; the results of all educational boards should be announced on one date.

He announced that all educational boards would announce FA/FSC results till August 15.

It had also been decided in the meeting, he said that university classes would be started on September 15 every year.

He said that the Higher Education Commission has inked an accord of Rs 400 million Dollar with the World Bank.

The total amount of this agreement would be spent on the projects initiated by the HEC, Shafqat added.

He also hinted the upgradation of existing universities rather to establish new higher educational institutions.

The entire universities of the country have not equal standards, he said adding that HEC will launch a testing service at national level to examine the standard of these universities.

He said the government would focus on holding of training and research programs for teachers with an aim to improve the standard of universities.

To a question, he said that due to financial constraints, the government was unable to provide enough funds to HEC in the budget. “We are striving to provide more funds to the higher education commission” he ensured. The provincial governments, he said, has also allocated funds to universities.

An online service would also be launched for the verification of degrees and provision of equivalence to foreign degree holders by Inter Board Committee of Chairman(IBCC) to facilitate the people, he informed the media persons.

He said that the educational boards across the country had been recommended to take exams of middle, matriculation and intermediate level.

In the IPMC meeting, it had also been decided to end the exams of class 9th and 11th, he said.

Shafqat Mahmood said that IPMC was a best source in the country for the implementation of uniform education system and decisions taken for the improvement of education sector.

He lauded the participation of provinces in the meeting, saying they had not only shared the issue being faced by the education sector but also discussed its resolutions.