In a shocking and unprecedented move, St. Patrick’s High-Level School in Karachi has issued a chilling threat to withhold the ‘O’ Level results of its students, scheduled for release on August 19, 2025.
This audacious ultimatum, delivered through a surprise WhatsApp message just a day before the big reveal, demands that students settle their tuition fees for June and July 2025. The message, devoid of any official communication, starkly states, “Without clearing the fee the results of CAIES ‘O’ Levels will not be distributed.”
This brazen demand has ignited outrage among parents, who argue that charging fees for June and July is illegal, as the academic session for Cambridge students concluded in May. Despite vehement protests, Principal Father Mario remained unyielding, claiming the directive came from the Sindh Education Department.
However, sources within the Education Department have categorically denied issuing such instructions, revealing that schools are explicitly prohibited from demanding more than one month’s fee at a time. This stunning contradiction raises serious questions about the school’s intentions and whether its actions are aimed at a higher level of financial gain.
This isn’t the first time the school’s administration has engaged in questionable practices. In April, St. Patrick’s illegally collected advance fees for May by coercing students and withholding their CAIES exam entrance documents. The school justified this by claiming parents often default on payments after receiving the documents.
Furthermore, the school’s sudden discontinuation of ‘A’ Levels classes a couple of years ago, forcing students to seek admission elsewhere, adds to a pattern of concerning decisions. The future of numerous students now hangs in the balance, their academic progress held hostage by a school seemingly prioritizing profit over its students’ well-being. Parents are desperately appealing to the Education Minister and the Catholic Education Board to intervene and put an end to this injustice, which could derail the futures of so many.