School privatisation picks up pace

Govt's plan enters 2nd phase with 4,580 more schools slated for privatisation

RAWALPINDI:

The Punjab government's controversial plan to privatise public education has commenced with severe backlash from teachers' associations.

According to sources, this marks a significant shift in the education system in the province. Despite initial resistance, teacher organisations and the All Pakistan Clerks Association (APCA) have been unable to halt this move.

What was once a strong opposition has now diminished, with many teacher leaders seemingly withdrawing their active involvement in the protests.

According to reliable sources, several key leaders within the teacher unions have chosen to support the government's privatisation efforts. It has been reported that they were given assurances by authorities that their roles and statuses would not be impacted by the privatisation process.

These leaders were promised they would continue their duties as government teachers, enjoying the same privileges and protocols until their retirement. This understanding has effectively neutralised the protest movement against school privatization led by the teachers and APCA.

As a result of these guarantees, opposition to the privatisation effort has now largely been reduced to verbal disapproval. There will no longer be sit-ins or large-scale protests, such as those seen in the past for salary increments. Instead, any protests will be limited to symbolic verbal statements, void of the strikes or demonstrations once associated with such movements.

During the first phase of this privatisation process, 5,500 government schools were handed over to private entities. Now, in the second phase, a list of 4,580 more schools is being finalised for privatisation.

These include both boys' and girls' schools, with a significant number of schools from the Rawalpindi division affected. Of the total, 52 schools from Rawalpindi district, 107 from Attock, 70 from Jhelum, and 48 from Chakwal are included.

More specifically, in Rawalpindi district, schools from various tehsils are being prepared for this transition. These include three schools in Rawalpindi tehsil, 12 in Murree, 10 in Kotli Sattian, 19 in Gujar Khan, 8 in Kallar Syedan, and 6 in Kahuta tehsil. Sources within the education department revealed that these schools typically have around two teachers each and a student body ranging from 80 to 150.

The privatisation of these institutions is set to be finalised by October 5, with the schools being handed over to non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

Following this phase, a third stage of privatisation will begin, with an additional 7,500 schools slated to be transferred to the private sector. This phase is expected to commence on October 15.

Punjab, which currently boasts 47,680 government schools, is at the heart of this massive privatisation effort. The provincial government aims to privatise between 15,000 to 20,000 schools by the beginning of the next academic year, scheduled for April 1, 2025. As part of this new phase, a decision has been made to transfer control of urban middle schools, which typically have larger buildings, more students, and greater numbers of staff, to the Danish Schools Authority.