Schools challenged PEIRA rules in court, defying regulatory mechanism
ISLAMABAD: Except for the handful expensive private educational institutions in the federal capital, hundreds of low-fee private schools are merely a source of minting money as the quality of education is very poor. The mushroom growth of the private educational institutions, in the federal capital, strengthened the perception that private education became one of the best businesses nowadays.
These educational institutions are touching the figure of 2,000, compared to only 423 government-run educational institutes in Islamabad.
However, except the few high-profile and heavily-charged private educational institutions, the quality of education in the low-cost private schools is very poor, as most of the schools hire unqualified, short-term contract based teachers, and pay them extremely low wages.
They even prefer to recruit young and local women, since they are the cheapest source of labour.
Zahid Malik, whose son Javaid Malik was studying in a private school in Bhara Kahu, told Pakistan Today that he admitted his son in a private school to provide him with the best education because the standard of the government-run schools was very poor.
He said that since he could not afford to send his son to a high-profile private school, he sent him to an affordable private school nearby because of the syllabus, and the slogans written on the banners displayed everywhere in the locality were quite attractive.
“The principal of the school assured me that they are providing quality education as they have a dedicated, well-educated and trained teaching staff; hence, he was convinced to admit his son in the school,” he added.
However, Malik said, after a lapse of few months, when he asked his son about the lessons, he knew nothing altogether because the teachers were not educated enough to teach Oxford and Cambridge books to the students.
Private Educational Institutions Regulatory Authority (PEIRA) is responsible for the registration and regulation of the private institutions; ensure that these institutions follow a uniform policy regarding the curricula as per the federal scheme of studies.
Duration of academic sessions and holidays or vacations, rate of fee being charged, qualification of the teaching staff – their terms and conditions of service, including salaries and the mode of its payment, promotion of curricular and co-curricular activities on an inter-institutional basis and capacity building of the teachers also come under the authority of the regulatory body.
However, a senior official, on a condition of anonymity, said that PEIRA neither had any mechanism to check curriculums of the private schools nor it has any system to evaluate the qualification of their teaching staff.
He said that the fact is that PEIRA had failed to perform its due role, and it became a redundant institute which needs an urgent revamping.
Talking to Pakistan Today, a principal of a private school said that it is true that they are not providing quality education because, with such limited resources, it is impossible for them to arrange highly qualified teachers.
When he was reminded about the slogans written on the banners, he said that it was not possible for them to lure the parents to admit their children in the school without such attractive slogans.
To a question that why so many tough subjects are being taught at the school, he replied that the text books are quite attractive and the children are taking great interest, and added that if they are allowed to increase the tuition fee, the situation could be improved at the school.
Musa Khan, a senior teacher, said that the English-mania is the major stumbling block in improving the educational standards of the country. Schools are using English as a medium of instruction, but they can neither arrange nor afford teachers who can speak fluent English and teach it to kindergarteners.
He said that there should be strict checks and balance system on the educational institutions, and prompt action should be taken against those schools which do not have qualified teachers and were busy looting the people merely through flowery slogans.
Private Schools Network (PSN) President Dr Muhammad Afzal Babur said that there were undoubtedly some issues, but the fact is that the private educational institutions were rendering great service to the country, as millions of people were studying in these institutions.
He said, “It is the responsibility of the government to provide free education to the children, but it has completely failed in performing its duty.”
The president said that the private schools are making all-out efforts to provide quality education, but with limited resources, it is simply not possible.
To a question about PEIRA, he said that the authority rendered no service; it was rather a source of problems because non-professionals were deputed there, affecting its role.
PEIRA Chairman Hasnat Qureshi, who is presently abroad, responded through Whatsapp messages, saying that the PEIRA rules provide a framework for quality and affordable education by private schools; however, the big chains have challenged the PEIRA rules in the court and are not complying with the rules and regulations. Consequently, they are charging a high fee at their own behest and defying the regulatory mechanism prescribed by the government.
