Teachers protest school privatisation plan

All middle and high schools with 100 to 150 enrolled students are set to be privatised during the 3-month summer vacations. The teachers' organisations have launched a massive protest against the move.

In a press conference calling attention to the mater, Punjab Teachers Union Central President Ramzan Inqilabi and Education Pensioners Association Secretary General Shafiq Bhalwalia said that all middle and high schools with 150 students will be handed over from government custody to Nawaz Sharif Schools of Eminence. This process will be completed by August 14.

After the summer vacations, these schools will open under the custody of the private sector. As part of the privatisation plan, all senior teachers will be retired early, and all contract teachers will be dismissed.

At present, 19,000 contract female and male teachers, non-teaching staff and computer science lab staff are performing their duties across these schools. Their contracts will be terminated.

The union president said the teachers were stressed because of the decision especially as the government has announced a 3-month long summer holiday. They have expressed the worry that the long holidays have been given to complete the third and fourth phases of privatisation across Punjab.