Pakistan: Education crisis deepens as government schools crumble and private institutions exploit parents

Islamabad [Pakistan], October 18 : A parliamentary committee on Friday sharply criticised the worsening state of Islamabad's education system, condemning both the dismal condition of government schools and the unchecked profiteering by private institutions, as reported by Dawn.

According to Dawn, members of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Federal Education, chaired by MNA Shazia Sobia Aslam Soomro, expressed alarm over the absence of basic amenities in many public schools, including clean drinking water, toilets, and functional classrooms.

The lawmakers also censured the Private Educational Institutions Regulatory Authority (Peira) for failing to control unjustified tuition fee hikes in private schools, which continue to exploit parents through steep and arbitrary increases.

Peira's guidelines allow schools to raise fees by only 5 per cent annually, or up to 8 per cent for high-performing institutions. However, the committee noted that weak enforcement has allowed elite schools to impose exorbitant charges, creating immense financial strain on families. The panel instructed Peira to draft a comprehensive and transparent fee policy ensuring accountability and fairness, stating that education must remain a public right rather than a privilege for the wealthy few.

The committee also discussed the shortage of essential facilities in rural schools within Islamabad's jurisdiction. Officials from the Ministry of Education informed the committee that 167 schools are currently being renovated under the "Provision of Basic Education Facilities in Educational Institutions of ICT under FDE" project.

Out of these, work on 71 schools is nearly finished, 27 have already been handed over, and 400 new classrooms are being built, with the entire project expected to conclude by year-end. However, the panel was informed that the schools previously visited by committee members were not part of the ongoing plan but would be included in another initiative, as cited by Dawn.

The lawmakers further raised concerns about growing incidents of child abuse and drug use in educational institutions. While acknowledging the formation of Child Protection Committees in government schools, they criticised the lack of follow-up mechanisms. The panel demanded detailed reports on all such cases to ensure that Pakistan's schools remain safe environments for students, as reported by Dawn.

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