Daily Times

RAWALPINDI: The Punjab Education Department has decided to outsource around 10,000 government schools located across the province, including the Rawalpindi Division, to the private sector.

A decision has been taken in this regard. Now the Education Department will make a formal announcement to handover the primary, middle and high schools to private sector control.

The Punjab Education secretary has sought a list of all the schools, which should be outsourced in this phase. The process will be completed during the ongoing summer vacations.

Various teachers union have decided to stage protests against the move. Teachers’ Union leaders Rana Liaquat, Shafiq Bholia, Shahid Mubarak, Chaudhry Yaseen have termed the outsourcing of government educational institutions a move to undermine the education system. They said that the academic system would be destroyed and enrollment target set by the administration for the government schools would not be achieved due to the ill conceived policies of the government.

FGEI: The Federal Government Educational Institutions (FGEIs) Cantonments Director Brig Dr Muhammad Asif Iqbal said on Monday that all schools, degree and postgraduate colleges running under the FGEIs were providing quality education to students.

Addressing the certificates distribution ceremony at FGEIs Directorate Rawalpindi, Iqbal said that the results of these educational institutions had improved due to professional and hardworking faculty members.

FGEIs Cantonment Deputy Director Col Mohsin Ehsan Wahla, GSO-1 Exams Lt Col Asad, GSO-1 Schools Lt Col Naeem, principals and other faculty members were also present on the occasion.

Dr Asif Iqbal said that the education system in FGEIs institutions was according to the requirements of the modern age. “That is why more and more people wish to enroll their children at educational institutions,” he said.

Later, the chief guest distributed merit certificates and cash prizes to the principals and staff members, who had organised the All Pakistan Excellence Awards Ceremony. He said that the teaching profession was a sacred mission.

“Federal Government Educational Institutions, as an education network, have carved a unique niche in the education system of the country. These institutions are national asset, which are imparting free of cost quality education to hundreds of thousands of students,” he said.