Unregulated academies pose risks

Kahna roof collapse demonstrates lack of safety checks

LAHORE:

The fatal collapse of the roof of a tuition academy in the Kahna area has highlighted the plight of thousands of children daily attending tuition centres operating in houses, rented shops and commercial plazas without a licensing framework or safety certification.

A large number of students may be studying in buildings whose condition has not been independently assessed.

The tragedy which claimed the lives of 14 children and left several others injured has prompted criminal investigations against the academy's management and the building's owners.

Rescue teams spent hours clearing debris while parents searched desperately for their children.

Although the immediate focus remains on determining responsibility for the collapse, the incident has drawn attention to a broader regulatory failure affecting the expanding tuition sector.

Private academies have become an essential part of the education system as increasing competition drives students towards after-school coaching. In almost every urban neighbourhood, tuition centres operate in residential properties, upper floors of commercial buildings and small rented premises.

The police registered an FIR over the roof collapse. The case was registered on the complaint of an enforcement officer under legal sections relating to negligence and rash conduct. Three brothers, Usman, Faizan and Rehan, along with a mason, Umair, were nominated in the FIR. According to the police, Rehan's wife, Amila, who was injured in the incident, was running the tuition centre in a room in their house where children were attending classes when the roof collapsed. The FIR stated that the dilapidated roof had caved in after additional load was placed on it during repair work, trapping children under the debris.