School Privatisation List
The Punjab School Education Department has issued an overhauled School Privatisation list of 11,048 state-funded Public schools scheduled for privatization, incorporating 1,134 government schools in the Rawalpindi division.
This will consist of every one of their resources including school buildings, grounds for extra-curricular activities, and labs, with an expected worth of billions of rupees.
When entirely controlled by private organizations, the public authority will give up all immediate control and authority over these government-funded schools.
This decision initiated protests by the teacher’s unions and civil society.
As per sources, administrative authorities in 4 districts in the Rawalpindi division, including Rawalpindi, Attock, Chakwal, and Jhelum, have been briefed regarding this latest drive of privatization.
The shortlisted schools assigned for privatization overwhelmingly comprise schools with a maximum number of students and broad land and grounds. Thus, these schools will presently not offer free education however will execute standard fee charges under the guise of an education fund.
In light of this move, educators have declared their goal to challenge the decision at different gatherings including the Lahore High Court.
The Punjab Education Department’s records show that 376 schools in the Rawalpindi region, 264 in the Attock area, 353 in the Jhelum locale, and 141 in the Chakwal area have been reserved for privatization. Moreover, 657 schools in the Lahore area, 910 in the Faisalabad region, 434 in the Gujranwala locale, and 317 in the Multan region have been also included in this drive.
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Across the 36 districts of Punjab, roughly 300 to 600 schools have been chosen for privatization.
The conventional arrival of this privatization school list indicated the initiation of the cycle to move these schools to the private sector. Muslim Hand, an NGO that has obtained these schools, has presented an appraisal report to the Ministry of Education, preparing for their exchange.
The proper notification for the exchange is supposed to be given by September 30.
Focal Secretary of Punjab SES Educators Association Muhammad Shafiq Bhulwalia communicated worries over the steady privatization of the school system and uncovered that a rundown of 15,000 extra schools for potential privatization is likewise in readiness, a move presently being challenged in the Lahore High Court.
