The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Wednesday took up a petition challenging the Sindh government’s notification calling for a 20 per cent cut in school fees. A state counsel stated before the SHC bench hearing the case that the government has withdrawn the notification and brought an ordinance, making it mandatory for all education institutes to charge 80 per cent of the total monthly fees.He said the ordinance has been sent over to the Sindh governor for approval, adding the instant petition has become infructuous since the notification in question has been taken back.The bench questioned director general of private schools Mansoob Siddiqui under what law the notification was issued. To which, he replied he put out the notification for a 20 per cent cut in school fees on the directives of the Sindh chief minister. The judges chided Siddiqui asking if he would jump into a well for the chief minister, no matter how serious the situation is.He said he lacked the powers previously, but has been given the authority now and that he will be careful in future. The bench disposed of the petition in the wake of the statement of the law officer’s statement. Meanwhile, Additional Advocate General Sindh Shabir Shah has said that after the dismissal of all the petitions by the Sindh High Court, now all the private schools had been bound to give 20% fee concession to the students as per the decision of the Sindh Cabinet. He said that the restraining order which was issued earlier would also not come to force after the dismissal of these petitions. He said this after the Sindh High Court dismissed the petitions filed by the private school associations against the Sindh government’s directives to give 20 per cent concession in school fee to all the students. Shabbir Shah was representing the Sindh government in the case. The AAG apprised the court that the Sindh Cabinet after approving an ordinance regarding concession in school fee had sent the same to Governor Sindh. He said that after the approval of changes in the rules by the Sindh cabinet, all private schools had been bound to give 20 per cent concession in their school fee for the months of April and May 2020. Additional Advocate General Sindh Shabbir Shah further said that action will be taken against those schools which would not give concession in school fee after the changes made in the rules by the Sindh cabinet. He further said that, the decision would apply equally to all private schools in Sindh Province.
