The Sindh Directorate of Private Institutions has ordered a prominent Karachi-based private school system to immediately reverse a mid-session fee hike, citing violations of provincial education regulations.
Parents had spent weeks protesting outside the school’s main campus, alleging that management increased tuition costs by 15% without obtaining the mandatory approval from the provincial regulator. The directorate’s notification, issued late Wednesday, confirms those complaints. Officials have now directed the school administration to refund the excess amount or adjust it against future monthly payments.
The move follows a string of similar disputes across the city. Many private institutions have cited rising operational costs—specifically utility bills and staff salaries—to justify sudden spikes in tuition. However, provincial law remains clear: private schools in Sindh cannot increase fees by more than 5% annually without a formal audit and approval from the Directorate of Private Institutions.
“We were given a two-day notice that the new fee structure would apply starting next month,” said one parent, who joined the protest earlier this week. “There was no transparency, no consultation, and no explanation as to why this was happening in the middle of an academic year.”
The school administration has publicly maintained that the hike was necessary to maintain “educational standards” amidst record-high inflation. In a brief statement provided to local media, a spokesperson for the school claimed the institution was “reviewing the directorate’s directive” and would communicate its next steps to parents by the end of the week.
Legal experts warn that this decision may set a precedent for other schools currently operating in a grey area. With the education department signaling a tougher stance on fee governance, institutions that bypass the regulatory framework face potential de-registration or heavy fines.
For now, the parents have secured a temporary win. Whether the school complies by the weekend deadline, however, is a test of the regulator’s actual enforcement power in a sector that has historically operated with little oversight.
