Public-private partnership in education

The School Education Department in Punjab province has decided to privatise government schools under a public-private partnership model. However, there are several concerns about its consequences. Initially, around 1,000 schools facing teacher shortages will be privatised, but the plan has a target of 13,000 government schools.
The decision was taken in response to alarming statistics showing that 567 government schools have no teachers and around 25,000 schools have only one teacher.
To counter this shortage, the department has decided to hand over all such schools having at least 50 enrolled students to a non-governmental organisation (NGO). This move has sparked agitation from various quarters, particularly teachers’ unions.
However, the privatisation plan raises questions about its compatibility with Article 25-A of the Constitution, which guarantees the fundamental right to free education for children aged 5-16 years. The government must address this crucial issue by taking onboard all those who are relevant stakeholders in this matter.
On the other hand, the quality of current education can only be improved in government-run schools by adopting different effective and comprehensive measures, like recruitment of teachers, better monitoring of schools, imparting refresher courses as well as training to teachers, evaluating the examination system, and inviting various well-known educational scholars to motivate teachers and students. Moreover, the government must allocate a sufficient budget for the education sector in order to improve the quality of education across the province.
ZAHID NADEEM
RAHIM YAR KHAN