School lists to be re-examined

Conference of education EDOs organised

LAHORE: Following the Punjab Teachers’ Union (PTU) agitation, the provincial government has decided to peruse lists of public schools being handed over to the Punjab Education Foundation (PEF).

A School Education Department official told The Express Tribune that the initiative had been taken in the wake of the recent PTU sit-in in front of the Punjab Assembly (PA). He said the handing over of public schools to the PEF in violation of declared policy was one of the chief grievances of the teachers. The official said these included schools with poor enrolment levels and below par performance on Punjab Examination Commission (PEC) tests.

He said a conference of education EDOs had been convened in this regard where a decision had been taken to re-examine lists of schools being handed over to the PEF. The official said those present had decided to ensure that only those schools were handed over to the PEF that had 20 or less students and had secured 25 per cent or lower when it came to PEC scores.

A document circulated on the meeting, a copy of which is available with The Express Tribune stated that all EDOs had been directed to ensure that all schools being handed over to the PEF were done so in line with the pertinent criteria. “During a discussion on Phase-II of the Public School Support Programme (PSSP), it was observed that some schools having good enrolment and superior results had also been included in the lists. Therefore, it was decided that EDOs would re-examine lists and only schools that had 20 or less students and had secured 25 per cent or lower PEC scores would be included in the programme’s second phase,” the document read.

The document also revealed that the officials had been directed to constitute district committees composed of at least three members to review the list of schools in their jurisdiction. The document directed the EDOs to ensure that the PTU was represented on the committees.

The SED functionary said a province-wide list of schools compiled by the EDOs would be put together in a month’s time. He said the next phase of the PSSP would commence thereafter. The SED official said the decision to review the lists had been reached during the PTU’s talks with Education Minister Rana Mashhood.

PEF MD Tariq Mehmood said lists of schools handed over to the PEF had been provided by the SED. He said the foundation took over schools that had not been performing well on the recommendation of the department. Mehmood said the PEF then partnered with the private sector to rehabilitate them.  He said it was binding on the PEF to relinquish control of schools handed over to it if asked to do so by the SED. Mehmood said approximately 1,000 schools were operating under the PEF. He said the number would rise further with the initiation of the PSSP’s second phase.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 28^th, 2016.