Parents condemn fee hike

* Fees raised by 40% for school, college students

* Administration says decision taken due to ‘inflationary situation in country’

LAHORE: After the Defence public schools and Defence degree colleges announced an increase of 40 percent in student fees, parents condemned the decision and termed it an unjustified economic burden on them.

The parents said the fees had been raised at a time when they were already bearing the brunt of record inflation in the country. The students of the Defence Degree College for Boys, the Defence Degree College for Girls, the Defence Junior School, the Defence Senior Campus and the Defence Kindergarton have been affected by the increase in fees.

As per a notification that had been issued by the school principal to parents recently, and a copy of which is available with Daily Times, the Defence Housing Authority (DHA) administration increased its tuition fees by Rs 1,000 from the KG level to college level, and Rs 1,200 for O Level students.

The Defence Public School (DPS ) administration charges its fee on the quarterly (three-month) basis. A paid fee challan form of the grade second students issued before three month, dated 02-06-2010 shows a total fee of Rs 8,505 with Rs 7,500 tuition fee. However, the recently issued fee challan form of the same student for the third quarter of this year dated 01-10-201, shows a total fee of Rs 11,505 with 10,500 tuition fee. This showed a quarterly increase of Rs 3,000 that had been made by the administration. Father of a student, who requested not to be named, said his business had been in a slump and he was unable to afford “such unwanted illegal raises in the fees”.

A letter issued to the parents of the students, by the DPS principal states, “Due to the high inflationary situation in the country, the management of the DHA has decided to revise the fee structure... which is quite affordable and reasonable.” A few students’ parents gathered outside the school building in the DHA Phase 3, Sector Z, and said that they had been planning to contact the “media for this... injustice”, sources said.