The alarming decline in admissions to government higher secondary schools in Punjab is a clear indication about public’s diminishing confidence in the government education system. More than 600,000 students were enrolled in Class 10 in government schools, yet only around 56,000 proceeded to Class 11 in government higher secondary schools. This extraordinary fall of nearly 90 per cent demands urgent attention from the provincial government.
There was a time when public-sector colleges were the preferred destination for students, largely because they offered affordable education alongside reasonable academic standards. Over the years, however, deteriorating infrastructure, inadequate laboratories, shortage of qualified teachers and weak academic facilities have steadily eroded that confidence. Today, parents who can afford private colleges are willing to bear the additional financial burden rather than compromise on their children’s education yet what about families who cannot afford private education? Their children face a painful choice: move to government colleges, often under compulsion or discontinue their studies altogether. The reported dropout of a large number of female students makes the situation even more disturbing. Education cannot become a privilege available only to those with sufficient financial resources. Merging institutions and cutting staff may reduce administrative costs, but they will not restore public confidence. Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has undertaken commendable initiatives in several sectors, and there is reason to expect that education will receive similar attention. What is needed is a complete programme for revamping of government schools and colleges, covering laboratories, libraries, classrooms, digital resources and, most importantly, recruitment of permanent and highly qualified teachers. The objective should not simply be to increase enrolment figures. The real goal must be to make public-sector institutions good enough that parents once again choose them willingly.
