Few takers for govt schools in Phase-III

Application deadline extended to April 7 as NGOs, private schools show little interest

RAWALPINDI:

Under the Punjab Schools Reorganisation Programme, interest from NGOs, private schools and education experts in acquiring government schools in the third phase of privatisation has significantly declined.

Very few applications were received for acquiring government schools, prompting the education department to extend the deadline for submission of applications in phase three until April 7.

According to a circular issued in this regard, educated youth, NGOs, private school owners and education experts can now apply to acquire government schools until April 7. Only a limited number of applications had been received by March 10.

Teachers' organisations and education sources told The Express Tribune that the earlier experience of government schools taken over by the private sector had failed. In southern Punjab districts, buyers have begun returning previously acquired government schools. Due to this situation, the government has decided that the returned schools will be merged with nearby institutions.

In phase three, 29 more schools from Rawalpindi have been included. At present, the number of government schools in Punjab has decreased from 47,000 to around 38,500.

Applications to acquire government schools will be submitted online until April 7.

Groups, private school owners and education experts who earlier acquired government schools have refused to take more schools in the third phase, raising concerns that the privatisation programme may fail.

Leaders of teachers' organisations Basharat Iqbal Raja, Akhiyan Gul and Shafiq Bhalwalya said government educational experiments have resulted in a decline in student enrolment in government schools.

Old textbooks to be redistributed

Due to a severe financial and economic crisis, the education department has issued instructions to all government schools to collect textbooks of previous classes from students expected to pass from class one to class nine.

Class teachers have been directed to collect these books from students.

For this purpose, an "Old Book Bank" has formally been established in schools with teachers assigned to manage it. These old textbooks will be distributed among students promoted to the next classes.

For the past eight years, the Punjab government has been distributing free textbooks every year to students of all classes in government schools. However, during the 2025 academic session, new textbooks fell short in record numbers and teachers had taken old books from some students to provide them to new students.