Govt deals major blow to education

Privatises 350 government schools in Rawalpindi despite severe backlash

RAWALPINDI:

The Punjab government has completed the privatisation of 350 government schools in Rawalpindi and 5,863 across Punjab, striking a powerful blow to public education in the province.

The decision comes despite protests and strikes by teachers' organisations.

This week, all these schools will be officially handed over to NGOs, the Punjab Education Foundation (PEF), and various purchasing groups.

In the second phase, an additional 7,137 government schools will be privatised.

The process of scrutiny is currently underway following the receipt of applications.

These schools are scheduled to reopen under private management from August 15.

Teachers from the 5,863 privatised government schools have been given the option to transfer to other government schools.

The new management will hire their teachers and headmasters.

The salaries for administrators and principals in the privatised schools have been set at Rs50,000, while teachers will receive between Rs30,000 and Rs40,000.

Recruitment based on these salaries has already begun. Official notifications transferring these schools to the private sector have also been issued.

The second phase of privatisation is expected to be completed by August 14.

Teachers' organisations have vehemently opposed the privatisation. Abdul Rauf Kayani, head of the Punjab Primary, Elementary, and Secondary Teachers Association, criticised the government, stating that it is constitutionally obligated to provide free education from primary to matriculation.

He accused the Punjab government of violating the constitution by selling government schools, arguing that this move could lead to the acquisition of valuable land worth billions of rupees in commercial areas.

Kayani warned of strong protests against the privatisation.

Muhammad Shafiq Bhalwalia, Central Secretary of the Punjab SES Teachers Association, voiced concerns that privatisation would make education more expensive and increase fees across Punjab.

He pointed out that the sale of primary schools would negatively impact children from poor families, who may be unable to afford the new fees.

The decision to transfer teachers from the sold schools has also been met with criticism.

Educators Association President Basharat Iqbal Raja warned that privatisation would lead to an increase in the number of out-of-school children.

Currently, 27 million children are out of school in Punjab. Raja predicted that this number would rise to 30 million due to higher fees and the absence of free books, forcing children from poor families to drop out of school.

The education department has issued instructions to all district education officers to reclaim government property from the schools being privatised.

This directive has further fueled the controversy surrounding the privatisation initiative, which many believe will undermine access to education for underprivileged children and disrupt the public education system.