Private schools win key policy relief in Rawalpindi

RAWALPINDI: Punjab School Education Department and All Pakistan Private Schools Management Association (APPSMA) have finalized a consensus package of education reforms which would enhance the academic management, ease regulation and improve the environment for private education institutions in the province.

Reforms involve the adoption of a standard academic calendar, increased number of teaching days each year, increased duration of validity of schools’ registration and reclassification of private education institutions from commercial to domestic utility category.

Now, the provincial School Education Department would make legislation out of the agreed package in consultation with all concerned in the next academic session.

The decisions were made in the fifth meeting of the committee formed on the directives of Lahore High Court (LHC) to formulate a uniform academic calendar for all education institutions in the province.

The meeting was presided over by Punjab School Education Secretary Mudassar Riaz Malik while Special Secretary School Education Muhammad Iqbal, APPSMA Central President Kashif Adeeb Javedani, Central Secretary General Amjad Ali Khan, APPSMA North Punjab President Abrar Ahmed Khan, delegates of prominent private school associations, Pakistan Chamber of Education President Ali Raza along with other members participated.

Under the proposed academic framework, educational institutions will be required to observe a minimum of 190 and a maximum of 227 teaching days each year. Officials said the measure would ensure effective curriculum delivery, reduce learning losses caused by lengthy holidays and establish greater consistency between public and private sector schools.

A significant recommendation approved during the meeting was the transfer of private schools from the commercial utility tariff category to the domestic tariff category for electricity, gas and other services. Private education representatives maintained that schools serve an educational purpose and should not be treated as commercial entities for utility billing.

The participants also agreed that amendments should be introduced to the Punjab Private Educational Institutions (Promotion and Regulation) Act to include provisions encouraging the development and expansion of private educational institutions alongside its existing regulatory responsibilities.

Other proposed reforms include extending school registration validity from the current period to four years, facilitating the registration of unregistered private schools, revising registration fees and simplifying procedures for obtaining building fitness certificates.

APPSMA North Punjab President Abrar Ahmed Khan told The Express Tribune that the discussions were highly productive, saying private school representatives had highlighted several long-standing administrative and operational issues faced by institutions across the province.

He said prolonged summer and winter vacations had affected teaching schedules and made it challenging for many schools to complete the prescribed curriculum within the academic year.