In a bid to enhance the quality of education and tackle the issue of out-of-school children, the Punjab government has announced plans to outsource thousands of government schools across the province. This initiative aims to upgrade 13,219 schools with poor educational conditions, aligning them with the standards of private institutions under the government’s school restructuring programme.
The outsourcing plan will be implemented in three phases. The first phase will focus on 5,863 schools with substandard conditions. The second and third phases will see the outsourcing of 4,453 and 2,903 schools, respectively.
The primary objectives of this project are twofold: to reintegrate out-of-school children into the education system and to elevate the quality of education to match that of private schools. By outsourcing these schools to private individuals and organizations, the government hopes to leverage their expertise and resources to enhance educational standards.
A report highlights significant staffing deficiencies in government schools. Of the 5,863 schools chosen for the first phase of outsourcing, 567 have no teachers, 2,555 have only one teacher, and 2,741 schools have only two teachers catering to 50 students.
Eligible entities to take over these government schools include private individuals, technology firms, NGOs, and overseas Pakistanis with educational experience, as per 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.
