Notices Served on 3,000 Rawalpindi Private Schools
More than 3,000 Rawalpindi private schools have been served notices by the Rawalpindi Municipal Corporation and the Civil Defence Department, which want the schools to obtain commercial building plans.
The notices have set off a protest by the All Pakistan Private Schools Management Association (APPSMA), which says the exercise has turned from safety checks into a source of fines and fees.
The Civil Defence Department has also started fining individual schools more than Rs100,000 each for not having commercial building plans, according to ProPakistani.
Rawalpindi private schools say checks became a burden
The notices ask schools to get commercial building plans approved instead of going through building fitness inspections. APPSMA says that shift abandons the original aim of the inspections, which was to check whether school buildings were safe for children.
APPSMA President Abrar Ahmed Khan said the teams set up to inspect private schools were meant to examine structural conditions and safety arrangements. He said demands for commercial building plans, and large fees allegedly charged by Civil Defence staff for fitness certificates, were now placing an unfair financial load on schools.
The association says that when a school lacks proper safety arrangements, officials should point out the gaps and give it fair time to fix them under the law, rather than pressing it with unclear fees and notices. It also says safety inspections should not become a way for departments to raise money or start needless proceedings.
The dispute matters because private schools teach a large share of children in the district, and the association says they are helping the state meet its education duties. If fines and plan costs pile up, schools may pass the cost to parents through fees, or cut back on other spending. That is the warning behind the protest, and it is why the association wants the government to take a cooperative approach.
Association meets district administration
The association president led a delegation to meet Additional Deputy Commissioner Social Services Fazail Mudassar, carrying copies of the notices issued by the Municipal Corporation and Civil Defence.
The delegation raised concerns about the notices and about the large sums allegedly demanded for fitness certificates. It asked for an inquiry into the rules and legal provisions under which the money was being sought, and for action against the staff involved.
The additional deputy commissioner listened to the concerns and assured the delegation that the matter would be examined.
APPSMA has also asked the Deputy Commissioner of Rawalpindi to take immediate notice, issue clear instructions to the departments concerned, stop any illegal or unauthorised collections, and end what it calls harassment of private schools without justification.
Schools face pressure on several fronts
The row comes in a week when schools have already been in the news. The prime minister has banned the use of Islamabad schools and colleges for police deployment, and teachers have been exempted from election, census and other administrative duties.
Rawalpindi has also seen action against school buildings before. Unsafe school buildings were sealed in the city in October, and private schools faced a registration deadline the same month.
The latest notices add a new front. For parents, the question is whether the dispute will push fees up or disrupt classes. For the administration, the question is whether the building plan rule is being applied fairly, and whether the fines match the law. The district administration has yet to give a detailed public reply, and the association says it will keep pressing the matter until it gets one.
Traders in Rawalpindi have also rejected official food prices this week, which shows the strain between the district administration and local businesses is not limited to schools.
Frequently asked questions
How many schools received notices in Rawalpindi?
More than 3,000 private schools across Rawalpindi district were served notices by the Municipal Corporation and the Civil Defence Department.
What do the notices ask schools to do?
The notices ask schools to obtain commercial building plans instead of undergoing building fitness inspections.
How much are the fines?
The Civil Defence Department has started imposing fines of more than Rs100,000 on individual schools for not having commercial building plans.
What does the schools association want?
APPSMA wants an inquiry into the fees charged for fitness certificates, clear instructions to the departments, a halt to unauthorised collections, and an end to what it calls harassment of private schools.
Who did the association meet?
A delegation led by APPSMA President Abrar Ahmed Khan met Additional Deputy Commissioner Social Services Fazail Mudassar, who assured them the matter would be examined.
