Private schools, in protest against the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) government’s bid to regularize private educational institutions through a regulatory authority, on Saturday went on strike and suspended all academic activities across the province. The bill which is regarding the formation of Private Schools Regulatory Authority (PSRA) is meant to streamline the educational system by ensuring the timely payment of salaries to teachers and by having checks and balances on the willful increase in students’ fees. The provincial government has decided to table the bill during the next session of the assembly. Talking to journalists, KPK Education Minister Sardar Hussain Babak said that anyone who is running an educational institute as a business will have to abide by the rules and regulations of the proposed bill. “The educational institutes would be registered and will be monitored in accordance with the proposed bill,” he added. The regulatory authority will determine the salaries of the teachers, monthly and admission fees of students and transport expenses. According to the bill, appointment and termination of teachers’ contracts will take place only after consultation with the education department. However, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa All Private Schools Association President Zakir Shah rejected the bill and in protest, announced that all 25,000 private institutes will remain closed from Saturday onwards.
