Politics of education: Private schools to shutdown in protest tomorrow

‘Private Educational Institutions Bill seeks to strangle, not regulate private schools’

LAHORE:

Private schools will remain closed across the province on March 8 and March 9 in protest against the passage of Punjab Private Educational Institutions (Promotion and Regulation) Bill (Amended) 2015.

The announcement was made on Sunday by the All Pakistan Private Schools Federation (APPSF) and the Pakistan Education Council (PEC).

In a joint statement, they said, “We decided to shut down our schools across the Punjab on Tuesday and Wednesday to register our protest against draconian laws that seek to strangle, not regulate private schools. This closure may lead to an indefinite strike. We regret the impact that this will have on children we serve. We have arrived at this difficult decision not out of choice but because our schools can no longer afford to sustain operations.”

The statement further said, “In the current scenario, provision of quality education in the Punjab is no longer possible. Private schools have come together to fight for survival of a sector that has made a massive contribution to this country. We have been left with no option but to start reducing overheads which will inevitably impact our services and facilities. We urge citizens who want their children to have access to the best education to reject the new law so that the private sector may continue to provide quality education for future generations.”

APPSF and PEC spokespersons added, “Most private schools have been unable to revise teachers’ and staff salaries in the 2015-16 school year, leading to unhappy and de-motivated teachers, a factor that in itself spells disaster for quality teaching.”

Talking to The Express Tribune, a representative of the APPSF said that a meeting to negotiate with the government had been held with the provincial education minister on Friday, in which schools had put forward their reservations against the bill. He said the ceiling on fee raises was unjustified and many schools would not be able to sustain the financial damage caused by the bill.

The statement said they had raised matter with the Punjab government and had agreed to be part of a special committee constituted by the chief minister to find a way forward through consultation.

The statement said the government had committed to resolution of the crisis in light of recommendations of the committee.

The statement said the committee had concluded that the ceiling on fees for the current year and a cap of five per cent for the future was unsustainable and would impact the services offered by private schools.

The statement said that despite the committee’s findings, the ordinance was turned into a bill late in February.

Earlier on Friday, Education Minister Rana Mashhood had presided over a meeting with private schools owners.

The minister, in a statement issued on Friday, assured representatives of school owners that some clauses, including the five per cent cap on increase in fees, might be dropped.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 7^th, 2016.