Karachi sees increase of 1,500 new private schools in last five years

Highest number of school openings witnessed in 2014

KARACHI: A lack of government schools and the dwindling quality of education has increased the number of private schools in the province. In the past five years, nearly 1,500 new private schools have been registered in Karachi.

The Sindh directorate of inspection of private institutions registered 257 schools in 2013, 341 in 2014, 220 in 2015, 322 in 2016 and 274 in 2017.



Private schools have been increasing in the city and a new school is opened each day, which is why we see a new school in every nook and cranny of Karachi. In the past five years, nearly 1,500 new private schools were registered in the city.

The highest number of school openings was seen in 2014 with the enumeration of 341 schools. The directorate of inspection of private institutions has sent letters to the education department numerous times to enumerate the registered and unregistered schools, however, progress has yet to be made.

According to the directorate, there are nearly 20,000 private schools, out of which 12,000 are registered while others are unregistered. The World Bank is being approached for the enumeration of the private schools, which is expected to be completed in the next six months.



According to the annual Reform Support Unit (RSU) report of 2016-2017, a district institution run under the education department, nine million students are presently enrolled in the schools, out of which 4.2 million are enrolled in government schools, 1.1 million in other government schools and 350,000 students study in madrassas.

Meanwhile, more than 3.2 million students are enrolled in private schools. The division for the enrollment is more than one million students in pre-primary, 1.4 million in primary, 700,000 in middle schools, 200,000 in secondary schools and 53,000 in higher secondary schools.

Parents see the government schools in a predicament and the standard of education falling. Where with each passing year, the standard of education should improve, the futures of the government-enrolled students seem to be doomed.



Private schools have been increasing due to the massive training differences at private and government schools. A mother residing in the Jamia Cloth Market area shared with Express News that government schools are deprived of basic necessities such as electricity, water, ceilings and walls and washrooms. Instead of encouraging creativity, government schools undermine the talents of school going children, which is why no well-to-do parents would send their children to a government school, she said adding that in such circumstances, parents prefer a small private school.

She said that poverty compels parents to enrol their children in government schools, otherwise everyone wants their children to get a private education.