Education minister says 41% hike in LUMS’ fee ‘unacceptable’
Statesman Report
ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Education Shafqat Mehmood on Friday took notice of an exorbitant increase in fees by the Lahore University of Management Science (LUMS) and termed the decision ‘unacceptable’.
In a tweet, the minister said that LUMS is a premier educational institution of the country and needs to take lead in providing relief to students rather than burdening them and their parents with abrupt fee hikes.
“Management needs to reconsider,” read the tweet.
The minister further reiterated that Supreme Court has already devised a formula for 5 to 8 per cent increase in school fees.
“[However], universities may have different compulsions and may need a somewhat greater increase but a sudden 41 per cent increase by LUMS is beyond comprehension,” Mehmood wrote on twitter.
Last week, the university administration made an announcement to increase the annual fee by 41%. Following which, a debate was witnessed about the issue on social media prompting the university to issue a clarification and explain the management’s point of view.
According to the statement, LUMS fees for 2020 were determined before Covid-19 that is entirely consistent with prior years and took into account extraordinary increases in inflation, energy costs and currency devaluation.
“The increase determined for 2020 was 13% which we will monitor in determining the next fee card. Furthermore, previously, a per semester blanket fee was being charged for students taking between 12 to 20 credit hours.”