Lahore: It has been decided to expand the process of handing over government schools to the private sector in Punjab. According to the education department, 4,500 additional schools will be handed over to private management in the third phase starting from December, which will also include high schools for the first time.
Education department officials say that the main criterion for identifying these schools is the low number of students. All schools with fewer than 100 students will be included in the privatisation list, and instructions have been issued to the districts concerned to provide the latest data. Teachers will either be transferred to the nearest schools or enrolled in the supplement pool.
According to official records, 12,500 government schools have already been handed over to the private sector, and the new phase will further expand this policy.
But the decision has raised serious concerns among teachers’ organizations across the province. They say the plan will not only increase the cost of education but also further weaken public education institutions. Representatives have warned that after privatization, school accessibility and fees could become unaffordable for the common people.
Teachers are demanding that the government, instead of privatization, improve and increase funding for government schools so that the public education system can be strengthened in a sustainable way.
