Education: a ruthless commercial enterprise

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Education, the cornerstone of progress and national prosperity, is an inherent right of every individual. However, the private education sector has transformed into a ruthless commercial enterprise, prioritising financial gains over intellectual nourishment. Often referred to as the Private Education Mafia, this industry operates with unchecked autonomy, levying exorbitant fees, evading regulation and reducing education to a mere commodity rather than an instrument of enlightenment.

The rise in private education can be attributed to the decline of public education and government neglect. As public schools deteriorate, parents seeking better educational opportunities for their children opt for private schools despite the financial burden. This situation is a result of gradual developments, with many individuals and elite contributing to it in various ways.

A glaring injustice of this sector is the persistent and disproportionate increase in tuition fees. Annually, private institutions impose unwarranted fee hikes under the guise of inflation and operational expenses. Consequently, education, instead of being a fundamental right, has morphed into an exclusive privilege.

A fundamental flaw within this system is the absence of regulatory oversight. This regulatory vacuum emboldens these schools to prioritise revenue generation at the cost of educational quality. Students are treated as mere revenue streams in a highly lucrative trade.

In their relentless pursuit of profit, these institutions often lower academic standards for profit, hiring underqualified educators, ignoring infrastructure, and lacking essential resources like libraries and labs.

The gap between private and public education widens societal inequalities. Wealthy children receive better education, while low-income families remain in underfunded schools, sustaining inequity. This disparity continues into higher education and careers, with private education sector students having more opportunities compared to their public counterparts.

The continued growth of private institutions has further weakened the public education system. As increasing numbers of parents shift towards private schooling, public institutions suffer from declining enrolment, diminished resources, and administrative neglect. This vicious cycle exacerbates the degradation of public institutions, compelling even greater dependence on private institutions.

The Private Education Mafia in Pakistan stands as one of the gravest threats to the nation's intellectual and economic future. The relentless pursuit of profit, lack of regulatory accountability, and commercialisation of learning have entrenched a culture of exploitation and inequality.

Addressing this dire crisis necessitates unwavering resolve from the government, ensuring that private university charters are not granted merely as political favours to lawmakers and the influential elite. The question is: have successive governments, over the decades, deliberately orchestrated the downfall of public sector institutions? Whom shall we hold accountable for this lamentable situation? Is it sheer negligence, or a calculated disregard for the sanctity of education? No administration, past or present, has earnestly undertaken the task of addressing these challenges. Instead, they have either permitted this systemic decay to persist, perhaps because it served their vested interests?

Where there is determination, opportunities emerge. For instance, there is the opportunity to invest in public education and enhance teacher salary frameworks, ensuring that educators have not to depend on supplementary income for their livelihood.

Through unyielding policy enforcement and interventions sustained over the next two decades, irrespective of the ruling administration, we can dismantle the entrenched barriers to equitable education. A revitalised public education system shall serve as the cornerstone of this transformation, ensuring that learning ceases to be a privilege of the few and is restored as an inalienable right of all as stated in the Constitution.