The Punjab School Education Department has released a revised list of 11,048 public schools slated for privatisation, including 1,134 government schools in the Rawalpindi division.
This includes all their assets including buildings, playgrounds, and laboratories, with an estimated worth of billions of rupees. Once under the control of the private sector, the government will relinquish all direct control and authority over these public schools.
The move has triggered protests by teachers' organisations and civil society.
According to sources, authorities in four districts in the Rawalpindi division, including Rawalpindi, Attock, Chakwal, and Jhelum, have been informed of this decision.
The selected schools designated for privatisation predominantly consist of institutions with larger numbers of students and extensive land and grounds. Consequently, these schools will no longer offer free education but will implement regular fees under the guise of an education fund.
In response to this move, teachers have announced their intention to challenge the decision on various forums including the Lahore High Court.
The Punjab Education Department's records indicate that 376 schools in Rawalpindi district, 264 in Attock district, 353 in Jhelum district, and 141 in Chakwal district have been earmarked for privatisation. Furthermore, 657 schools in Lahore district, 910 in Faisalabad district, 434 in Gujranwala district, and 317 in Multan district have also been included in this initiative. Across the 36 districts of Punjab, approximately 300 to 600 schools have been selected for privatisation.
The formal release of this list signifies the initiation of the process to transfer these schools to the private sector. Muslim Hand, an NGO that has acquired these schools, has submitted an assessment report to the ministry of education, paving the way for their transfer. The formal notification for the transfer is expected to be issued by September 30.
Central Secretary of Punjab SES Teachers Association Muhammad Shafiq Bhulwalia expressed concerns over the gradual privatisation of the education system and revealed that a list of an additional 15,000 schools for potential privatisation is also in preparation, a move currently being contested in the Lahore High Court.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 18th, 2023.
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