In a bid to enhance the quality of education and address the issue of out-of-school children, the Punjab government has unveiled plans to outsource thousands of government schools across the province.
This initiative aims to revamp 13,219 schools with poor educational conditions and bring them up to par with private institutions under the government's school restructuring programme.
The outsourcing plan will be executed in three phases. In the first phase, 5,863 schools with substandard educational conditions will be outsourced. Subsequent phases will see the outsourcing of 4,453 and 2,903 schools, respectively.
The primary goal of this project is twofold: to attract out-of-school children back into the education system and to elevate the quality of education to match that of private schools. By outsourcing schools to private individuals and organizations, the government aims to leverage their expertise and resources to improve educational standards.
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A report indicates significant deficiencies in the staffing of government schools. Out of the 5,863 schools selected for outsourcing, 567 have no teachers, while 2,555 schools have only one teacher. Additionally, 2,741 schools have only two teachers catering to 50 students.
Private individuals, technology-related firms, NGOs, and overseas Pakistanis with educational experience are eligible to take over government schools under the Punjab Education Foundation. The government will provide subsidies to the outsourced schools, and young entrepreneurs will be eligible to take over the schools, as per the Punjab Schools Education Department.
The Punjab government's decision to outsource thousands of government schools reflects a proactive approach towards improving the education sector.
