Islamabad — The Islamabad High Court has issued notices to the private schools’ regulatory authority and other parties on a petition challenging the requirement for private educational institutions to provide free education to 10% of students.
Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir heard the petition filed by the Private Schools Association against the 2012 law requiring private schools to educate 10% of needy students free of cost. The Private Educational Institutions Regulatory Authority had earlier issued notices to schools seeking details of compliance before July.
During the hearing, the counsel for private schools argued that the government was asking private institutions to provide free education without offering funding or quota support. He maintained that providing free education was the responsibility of the state.
The president of the Private Schools Association also appeared before the court and argued that such requirements could force private schools to shut down.
Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir questioned the objection, asking how many students are usually enrolled in a class. The judge observed that if a school can teach 18 students in a class, it should explain why accommodating two additional needy students is a problem.
The court issued notices to the regulatory authority and other respondents for August 3.
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