A case for government schools

ISLAMABAD: This is with reference to a story published in The Express Tribune (September 13), discussing the increase in tuition fees for private schools, which many parents are finding difficult to bear. The trend to admit children into private schools has increased in recent years. Sending children to private schools has, historically, been a matter of prestige for many parents. A realistic reflection leads to the conclusion that most private schools are not much better than government-run schools. Many of these private establishments are set up in cramped houses that provide no space for sports and physical activity. The standard of teaching is not high either. Many teachers in private schools do not have the required teaching qualifications.

Due to the poor standard of teaching in private schools, parents are forced to spend huge sums on sending their children to private tuition centres. In the past, when most children were sent to government-run schools, one could not claim that the education system did not produce good doctors, engineers, lawyers and bureaucrats. I would, therefore, suggest that instead of complaining about the hike in fees of private schools, parents should consider urging the government to improve the conditions of state-run schools. Instead of paying huge sums in private school fees, government-run schools can be paid a small additional sum apart from the tuition fee, which can then be spent on providing better facilities like bathrooms and drinking water. More competition in the education sector will also prompt private schools to reform their fee structure and provide better quality education.

Dr Nisar A Kayani

Published in The Express Tribune, September 16^th,  2015.

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