In a bid to tighten the noose around private schools which are not ready to reduce the exorbitant fees, Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar on Thursday hinted at nationalization of all private schools across the country.
"What about giving orders to the government to take over all private schools as there is no bar on nationalization," remarked the CJP during the hearing of an appeal filed by various private schools against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government's policy, binding the educational institutions to charge 50 percent fee during summer vacations.
The four-judge bench headed by the Chief Justice also sent public notices to parents of all students through two newspapers for hearing the matter. The Chief Justice lamented that two previous governments did not give preference to the country's education sector. "We've already formed a commission for enforcement of Article 25A of the Constitution," he remarked.
The apex court also barred private schools from charging fees during summer vacations. The Chief Justice observed that a poor man's child cannot afford to study at a private institution due to exorbitant tuition fees, adding that its government's incompetence that it did not prioritize education sector.
"It is state's responsibility to ensure free education for the children aged till 16-year-old," the Chief Justice stated. "Currently, more students are enrolled in private institutions than in government schools," he observed.
The Chief Justice remarked that it is state's responsibility to ensure provision of education to the poor and it has the mandate to take over the schools. He said that parents would be glad by not paying school fees in the summer break.
The Peshawar High Court (PHC) had already rejected a petition of private schools. The hearing of the case was adjourned for one week.