On Thursday, the Punjab government began the process of privatising 13,000 public schools across the province as part of a major overhaul of the education sector.
This initiative is part of the broader Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, which aims to improve the quality of education and increase accessibility for millions of students.
The Punjab Education Foundation (PEF), which manages 13,000 primary schools across various districts with around 18 million students enrolled, took a significant step forward in this effort on Thursday.
The government has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with private sector entities to transfer 5,863 public schools in the initial phase. The subsequent phases will see the transfer of 4,000 schools each, marking a comprehensive restructuring of the public education system in the province.
According to the PPP model, the government will provide Rs650 per student per month to the private sector, which will take over the management of teachers and the provision of necessary infrastructure. This plan ensures that primary education remains free for students while the private sector handles the operational aspects of the schools.
Read more: How to apply for CM Punjab internship program
The MoU signing ceremony was held at the Children’s Library Complex in Lahore, with Punjab Minister for School Education Rana Sikandar Hayat as the chief guest. Key attendees included School Education Department (SED) Secretary Khalid Nazir Wattoo, Parliamentary Secretary for School Education Nosheen Adnan, Member Chief Minister’s Task Force Muzammil Mehmood, Programme Monitoring and Implementation Unit (PMIU) Director Farooq Rasheed, and PEF Managing Director Shahid Farid.
