Third phase of school privatisation launched

The Punjab Education Department has formally launched the third phase of its programme to transfer a further 4,500 government schools to the private sector.

Applications have been invited online from private school owners, non-governmental organisations, and education experts interested in taking over the institutions, with a deadline set for April 7. Officials have indicated that the privatisation process for public colleges across Punjab will commence shortly thereafter.

The initiative is being carried out under the Public School Reorganisation Programme, through which government schools are being handed over to private management. In the first two phases, approximately 12,500 schools have already been transferred. As a result, the number of public schools in Punjab has declined to around 38,000.

Teachers' organisations and the All Pakistan Clerks Association have rejected the policy and announced protest plans.

Hamid Shah, a leader of the Punjab Teachers Union, warned that the sale of public schools is undermining the education system. He said enrolment in government schools is already declining and called for the policy to be immediately reversed.

Meanwhile, Basharat Iqbal Raja, President of the Educators Association, along with Akhiyan Gul, argued that education and healthcare are fundamental constitutional responsibilities of the state.

They criticised the government for "selling off" both sectors, warning that this would make services increasingly unaffordable, and urged an end to the privatisation programme.

They further highlighted that there are currently around 50,000 vacant teaching posts within the Education Department, forcing many teachers to handle multiple subjects. They confirmed plans to stage protests over the issue.

Shehzad Manzoor Kiani, Central Vice President of the All Pakistan Clerks Association, and Divisional President Chaudhry Mubashir, stated that earlier phases of the programme had failed. They claimed that student enrolment in privatised schools has declined, while the number of government teachers and staff has also been reduced.