Daily Times

Punjab Education Foundation (PEF) has blacklisted 4 schools in District Gujrat claiming funds for fake students found during SIS Verification. These schools were providing free education to children under the FAS program.

The blacklisted schools in district Gujrat include Bright Star Higher Secondary School (School Code 118), Education House Higher Secondary School (School Code 119), Star Light Model High School (School Code 130) and Salah Model High School (School Code N4-GRT-1621). As a result of the Punjab Education Foundation’s investigation, a large number of ghost students were found in these schools.

The Chief Minister had ordered an inquiry on March 2, 2020، after 287,000 students were found fictitiously registered in schools under the Punjab Education Foundation (PEF) programme. Connivance of schools, government officials and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) is suspected in the case as fake record had been prepared to embezzle about Rs1.1 billion annually. The Punjab government’s record shows that it was paying tuition fee of Rs550 per child each month to the schools and NGOs for teaching the children. Despite reports about ghost students in the schools, the payment by the provincial government continues.