Private education: Centre set up for registration of schools

Cases of 267 schools are pending before the Schools Inspection Committee

FAISALABAD: The district administration has set up a facilitation centre at the office of Faisalabad education executive district officer to register private schools in the district. 

DCO Noorul Amin Mengal announced this at a meeting on Thursday. “Registering all private schools is necessary to improve the performance of the education sector.”

Mengal requested the management of private schools to get their educational institutions registered with the Education Department as early as possible. “Strict action would be taken against those who fail to do so.” He said the facilitation centre had been set up for this purpose. The DCO urged private schools to contact the EDO’s office in this regard without delay.

The DCO also directed the education EDO to identify private schools set up in ramshackle school buildings in the district. “We will make sure that necessary steps are taken to repair these buildings.”  He directed private schools’ administrations not to charge students exorbitant fees. Mengal said they would have to take action against private schools if parents complained in this regard.

Education EDO Bashir Zahid Goraya said there were 4,099 private schools in the district – 898 primary schools, 1,941 middle schools, 218 high schools and 42 higher secondary schools. He said 474 of them were unregistered. “The department has recently registered 117 new schools...184 schools have been told to register as soon as possible.” He said the cases of 267 schools were pending before the Schools Inspection Committee and 32 before the education district officer. The schools will be registered once the SIC and DO give a go ahead.

The Education Department has issued a checklist for registration of private schools. Goraya said school managements have been asked to complete their documents according to the checklist before filing cases for registration.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 20^th, 2015.