Schools or brands

Private education has over the years steadily morphed into a profit-maximising business, overshadowing its core mission of learning and development. This shift has taken such precedence that many schools today consider themselves brands first and educational institutions second — complete with branded uniforms and study packs. It is this unchecked commercialisation that has now forced the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) to intervene and issue show-cause notices to seventeen major private schools.

Parents were allegedly compelled to buy expensive, logo-bearing supplies exclusively from authorised vendors, often at prices inflated by up to 280%. In many cases, students were not even allowed to use generic alternatives, effectively turning families into "captive consumers" with no meaningful choice. Such practices go beyond profiteering as they distort the very idea of schooling. When learning is tied to corporate-style branding, classrooms begin to resemble marketplaces rather than spaces of intellectual growth.

Worse, this model deepens systemic inequality. Quality education becomes available only to those who can pay for it. Children from lower-income households face social stigma for not "fitting in" while middle-class families stretch their budgets to breaking point simply to keep up. The fallout extends further. Exclusive vendor arrangements have choked off opportunities for thousands of small stationery shops and uniform sellers nationwide, reducing market competition and wiping out affordable options for parents.

Education cannot be treated as a business model built on margins and monopolies. The CCP's action is a necessary wake-up call. Private schools must re-examine their priorities and restore education to its rightful place - not as a branded commodity, but as a fundamental right and a pathway to equitable development. Schools must return to the basics of making quality education accessible to the masses for collective growth. Right now, all we see is a fractured youth.