FEDERAL Minister for Education and Professional Training Madad Ali Sindhi has ordered the Private Educational Institutions Regulatory Authority (PEIRA) to make 10 percent need-based scholarships mandatory for yearly registration of private schools. Chairing a meeting, the Minister said he was deeply concerned about the educational needs of deserving students, therefore, the said policy was developed by PIERA and its implementation would be prioritized for strict compliance in true letter and spirit. Non-compliance may result in regulatory action and could potentially result in de-registration of the non-compliant educational institution.
No nation can progress and prosper without due investment in education but countries like Pakistan find it difficult to spare necessary resources for the purpose. There is no doubt that the private sector is complementing the efforts of the Government in ensuring provision of educational opportunities to all children in every nook and corner of the country. However, it is also a fact that the majority of these private schools have become minting machines for their owners, who have no commitment to the cause of education. Their entire focus is on hefty fees and other charges and no or least concern for children hailing from disadvantaged segments of the society or payment of respectable salaries to qualified teachers. This greed for money is depriving otherwise intelligent students from seeking knowledge at a time when the State has almost given up the practice of opening more schools. In this backdrop, the direction given by the Education Minister assumes greater significance and we hope the policy would be implemented strictly and the provinces too would follow suit. In fact, Sindh has already taken an initiative on this account with the caretaker Chief Minister retired Justice Maqbool Baqar giving an ultimatum to private schools to fulfil their obligations in respect of provision of free education to disadvantaged students within a week. The CM deserves credit for this as the law adopted way back in 2013 envisaged free education to ten percent of the enrolled students (by private school) but it remained unimplemented throughout.
