The Competition Commission of Pakistan has taken action against private schools for forcing students to buy notebooks, workbooks, and uniforms with school logos, issuing show-cause notices to 17 institutions, according to a report on Friday.
The CCP stated that compelling parents to purchase these costly items is a violation of the Competition Act.
It found that many private schools have made undisclosed arrangements with selected dealers, leading to prices far higher than the market. In some cases, logo-printed copies were priced up to 280 percent above regular rates.
The commission noted that after admission, students turn into “besieged consumers” as nearly half of Pakistan’s school-going population is enrolled in private institutions.
These schools enforce the purchase of expensive items under the label of guidelines, leaving parents unable to choose more affordable options.
Schools served notices include Beaconhouse, Westminster, City School, Head Start, LGS, Froebels, Roots International, Roots Millennium, CAPS, Allied Schools, Supernova, Darul Arqam, STEP, United Charter, and Smart School.
These systems run thousands of campuses nationwide, affecting hundreds of thousands of families.
The CCP said parents are often left with no option but to follow the commercial decisions set by school management, which is accused of abusing its dominant position.
The schools have been instructed to submit a written reply within 14 days. The commission has the authority to impose fines of up to Rs75 million.