KARACHI:
Education has become a business in Turbat. Private schools are charging very high fees and poor parents are suffering badly. A small private school operating in a rented building is charging Rs3,000 to Rs5,000 per month for one child. There are extra charges as well in the name of admission fees, security deposit, etc. One can imagine the plight of a low-paid worker earning Rs30,000 to Rs50,000 per month and having three children. How will he manage schooling of his children, given that he has to pay the bills, buy groceries and cater to other day to day needs? And if he is living in a rented house, getting children schooled will most definitely be an unrealised dream for him.
And the irony is that such schools have no qualified teachers, no science lab, no library, and no playground. And they still charge for these non-existent facilities. Since public schools are even worse, what options are the parents left with. Government schools in the town are devoid of the most basic facilities like drinking water and washroom. And the ratio of teacher to students is 1:100.
The authorities must take immediate steps to prevent education from becoming a purely commercial enterprise. Primary school fees should be capped at a maximum of Rs2,000 per month, and private institutions must face regular inspections. If the current trend continues, underprivileged children in Turbat will be deprived of education, inevitably leading to a rise in child labor.
Shahal Jalab
Hirronk
