ISLAMABAD: In a landmark move to overhaul the education sector, the Punjab government has announced the outsourcing of management of 5,800 government schools to private entities to significantly improve the quality of education and address the long-standing problem of teacher shortage.
Speaking to a private news channel, the minister said this bold initiative will bring much-needed expertise and resources to improve student achievement, teacher training and infrastructure development, which will ultimately benefit millions of students across the province.
The minister emphasized that the outsourcing initiative is a crucial step towards achieving the government’s vision of providing quality education to all students in Punjab irrespective of their background or socio-economic status.
“We want to encourage innovation, creativity and expertise from different sectors to transform our education system,” the minister said.
The minister also assured that the government will maintain strict monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to ensure that partners meet the required standards and performance measures, adding that we are committed to bringing transparency and accountability to this initiative.
“By outsourcing schools to private individuals, NGOs and organizations, the government wants to use their specialized expertise and resources to enhance the quality of education,” he said.
Private individuals and organizations can implement innovative teaching methods, digital learning tools and data-driven assessments to measure student progress, he said.
NGOs that focus on social development can provide essential support services such as counselling, mentoring and extra-curricular activities to promote the holistic development of students, he added.
“In response to a query, the minister revealed that many government schools that were proposed for outsourcing were previously suffering from severe shortage of teachers, with some having zero number of teachers.
In addition, these schools were often characterized by performance-free studies, where students did not meet rigorous academic standards.
Instead of abandoning these schools, the government has decided to partner with private individuals, NGOs and organizations to utilize the existing infrastructure free of cost for the welfare of students, he concluded.
Punjab outsourcing 5,800 govt schools to boost quality
