Senate panel flags private schools’ failure to implement free education quota

ISLAMABAD: A Senate committee on Tuesday voiced concern over the failure of private schools to implement the mandatory provision of free education for 10 per cent of deserving students, saying many institutions were not fulfilling what members described as both a legal and social obligation.

The Senate Standing Committee on Federal Education and Professional Training met under the chairmanship of Senator Bushra Anjum Butt. The panel was briefed on the status of implementation of the free education policy in private schools. Members were informed that the Association of Private Schools had approached the high court and obtained interim relief, with the court suspending implementation of the decision.

The development comes after Islamabad High Court Justice Raja Inaam Ameen Minhas, while hearing a case recently, directed the Private Educational Institutions Regulatory Authority to enforce its rules on the 10pc quota. According to the briefing cited at the meeting, private schools have been collecting billions of rupees annually while not implementing the required scholarship quota for deserving students.

Senator Butt expressed dissatisfaction over the situation and said private schools were unwilling to admit underprivileged children despite being bound to do so. She told the meeting that Pakistan had faced the problem of out-of-school children for decades and stressed that strict enforcement of the policy was necessary to help ensure access to quality education for every child.

Cambridge paper leak case

The committee also received a briefing from the Inter-Board Coordination Commission on the alleged leakage of papers in Cambridge A-Level examinations. Students affected by the issue appeared before the committee and shared their concerns.

The IBCC told the panel it had forwarded the evidence available to Cambridge Assessment and the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency for investigation and further action. Senator Butt described the matter as serious and said it should be settled on a priority basis to avoid further delay and academic uncertainty for students. She directed that letters be sent to the relevant authorities, asking them to speed up the investigation and resolve the issue before July 21.

Degree attestation and other issues

The committee was also briefed on degree attestation for graduates from unauthorised campuses of PIMSAT, the University of South Asia, Lahore, and NICE Karachi. Representatives of the Higher Education Commission told the meeting that of around 6,000 affected students, 4,383 cases had been approved for consideration for degree attestation.

Members also took up the long-pending issue of degrees awarded by Al-Khair University that remain unattested. The committee was informed that the HEC had planned to conduct a test for students before verifying their degrees, but that test has not yet been held. The panel recommended that the HEC address the matter by following the policy earlier applied in the case of Global University, Lahore, and submit a report within 10 to 15 days.

In addition, the HEC briefed the committee on its plagiarism policy. The panel was also informed that, on its recommendations, a pool of writers had been created to assist visually impaired students during board examinations.

Private school infrastructure under review

The committee further discussed registration requirements and infrastructure standards for private educational institutions. Senator Syed Masroor Ahsan asked about the building standards set for schools and whether all institutions were required to provide basic facilities including playgrounds and libraries.

The meeting was informed that not all schools currently have playgrounds and laboratories. Senator Butt observed that many private schools were operating out of residential houses and said the existing registration criteria needed to be reviewed. She added that despite charging high tuition fees, many private schools were still not providing sufficient educational and recreational facilities to students.