Private schools demand removal of taxes

Raise serious concerns about country's state of education

RAWALPINDI:

The All-Pakistan Private Schools Management Association has raised serious concerns about the country's state of education, calling for removal of taxes on private schools.

They emphasised that 60 per cent of children who are receiving an education are enrolled in private schools. The association urged all political parties to collaborate and develop a 20-year national education policy, rather than treating the education sector as an experimental laboratory.

These concerns were voiced by various leaders of the association, including the provincial president Abrar Ahmad Khan, central senior vice president Muhammad Farhan Chaudhry, vice president Colonel (retd) Fawad Hanif, advocate district president Abrar Ahmed, secretary general of Tehsil Rawalpindi Adnan Nisar, and deputy secretary general of Rawalpindi division Kamran Saif Qureshi.

They shared their thoughts during a conversation with The Express Tribune, where they stressed the importance of education as articulated by Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

The association leaders reiterated Quaid-e-Azam's belief that education is a matter of life and death for the nation. They quoted him saying that if the country does not prioritise education, it will not only fall behind other nations but could face existential threats.

The association highlighted that Pakistan's most pressing issue today is the exclusion of over 20 million children from the education system. They pointed out the contradictory stance of the government, where on one hand, the prime minister has declared an educational emergency, yet on the other hand, educational institutions in Punjab are being shut down. This, they argue, directly contradicts the constitutional responsibility of the state to provide free education up to matriculation, a responsibility the state has largely failed to fulfil.

The private sector, they noted, is currently shouldering around 60 per cent of the country's educational load. The association leaders stressed that the youth of Pakistan are full of potential, and with proper guidance and training, they could achieve great things on a global scale.