ISLAMABAD: In order to ensure compliance with its directive regarding the allocation of 10 per cent of seats to deserving students without any fee, an apex regulatory authority for private schools has asked these schools to implement this directive or face repercussions.

The Private Education Institutions Regulatory Authority (Peira) through a notification directed the principals of all schools to ensure free education to 10 per cent students.

“Strict compliance of offering 10pc seats to needy students will be monitored, and private educational institutions failing to fulfil this directive will be subject to necessary action, whereas private schools with the highest numbers of scholarships offered to needy students will be duly recognised… [by the] government,” read the notification issued on March 15, which reached many private schools on Tuesday. The notification said the scholarships for deserving students needed to be highlighted during the annual admission drive as well as the social media channels of the school.

It also asked the schools to display at their entry points the 10pc seats for deserving students and also highlight the same on websites and other social media. It also directed the schools to display this offer on prospectus and admission forms besides other digital and traditional media outlets.

Meanwhile, Peira also appreciated recent contributions from private schools towards the ‘zero out-of-school-children (OOSC) campaign’ launched by the education ministry to reduce the number of children without access to education. “Continuing this effort, it is desired from the highest level of the government for a formal and structured action to ensure the right to free and compulsory education for children as reflected under Peira policy. Providing 10pc need-based scholarships is made compulsory for registration, as reflected on the Peira registration certificate as well,” read the notification.

Commenting on the Peira notification, an official said that strict monitoring would be required for the implementation of this directive.

He, however, appreciated Peira for issuing this directive. The official said that under the Peira policy, schools were bound to provide free education to 10pc students, but many of the schools were not implementing this order.

“This is good; now Peira has come forward to get its policy implemented; let’s hope for a good outcome. But, frankly speaking, without a strict monitoring mechanism this directive cannot be implemented,” he added.

Meanwhile, the official said that there was also a need to take more steps for admitting out-of-school children to schools.

He said that there were a large number of out-of-school kids in Islamabad, adding: “Almost in all markets of Islamabad, minors could be seen doing labour work, including car wash.”

Last year, the education ministry through its partners launched a campaign to enrol out-of-school children. The ministry later claimed that it enrolled 70,941 children in different schools. It added that the data compiled by the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) showed that there were 52,000 out-of-school children in Islamabad and the ministry had enrolled over 70,000.

Contrary to the BISP and the education ministry data, there are a large number of out-of-school children in Islamabad. An official said that without financial assistance from the government, it would be very difficult to enrol out-of-school children, particularly those employed in the labour market.

Published in Dawn, March 20th, 2024