KARACHI: During a meeting held to look into the issues regarding fee hike in private schools at Governor House on Tuesday, Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad stressed the need for providing good security at educational institutions.

Showing his concern over the matter at the meeting attended by Karachi commissioner Shoaib Ahmed Siddiqui, education secretary Dr Fazlullah Pechuho, Private School DG Mansoob Siddiqui along with Principal Secretary Mohammad Hussain Syed, etc, the governor said that security and surveillance systems at private schools should be satisfactory at the time of their registration. Dr Ibad thought it important to take into view the facilities being provided at private schools and also whether the education imparted there is of good standard and on a par with fees being demanded.

Taking into view the concerns of parents, the governor also said that private schools when deciding to increase their fees should take the parents into conHdence and let them know the reasons for it. And in doing so, they should also con-sider the parents`side and be reasonable.

That said, he also appreciated the association of selfless academics in private sector who would even volunteer their services for free for the betterment of education here.

Meanwhile, on the issue of security at private schools, chairman of All Private Schools Management, Khalid Shah, pointed out that it wasn`t so easy. `A security guard from a good agency that provides trained men who can handle guns will cost around Rs15,000 per guard. The requirement being imposed by the government is of four guards at least, which comes around to an expenditure of Rs60,000 a month. Now it is not just that as you also have to consider their meals.

Then although their agencies should be taking care of their personal problems and unexpected expenditures, they do come for these to us also, therefore it all comes to round about Rs80,000 a month, he did the maths.

`Now, please explain to me how do private schools that don`t even have a turnover of that much cope with such demands? They charge Rs500 fee for each pupil and pay teachers` salaries and on top of that they have to take on four security guardsas well? No sir, schools charging Rs3,000 and less fee per pupil can`t even think of appointing security guards,` Mr Shah said.

`What the higher-ups making such demands of private schools need to do is see all private schools and not consider them all as elite schools. Private guards may be no issue for schools charging Rs10,000 and above per pupil but there are smaller private schools too,` he said.

He said that it was suggested that schools in this situation should be categorised and then requirements on them should be imposed according to their standard. `But if the directorate of private schools categorises the schools as A-grade, B-grade or C-grade, you tell me what happens to the child who has studied at a C-grade school? Will he always carry the label of having a C-grade schooling? `Another suggestion which has come up is of awarding colours to schools to classify them as per their standard and fee rate but it is not a practical solution really. And all these things need to be addressed. They have to look into all classes of private schools in order for them to implement and follow their requirements,` he added.