KARACHI:
Tensions between private schools and the Sindh government over the verification of free education lists eased on Tuesday after a detailed meeting between the Grand Alliance of Private Schools Associations and provincial education authorities. The alliance had announced a strike on January 9 in protest of the verification process, citing concerns about harassment of school administrators and parents during inspections.
Education Minister Syed Sardar Ali Shah held the meeting with representatives of the alliance, including Anwar Ali Bhatti, Syed Tariq Shah, Syed Shehzad-Zersa, Danish Naulhzad, Zahid Ali Abbasi, Anti-Corruption Chairman Zulfiqar Ali Shah, School Secretary Zahid Ali Abbasi and Director General of Private Schools Muhammad Afzal. Haider Ali. Discussions focused on verification of free education data in private institutions and the challenges faced by schools and parents during the process.
Acknowledging the private schools’ concerns, Minister Shah emphasized that while the court’s directives must be respected, the verification process must be transparent, structured and fair. He assured that the Directorate for Supervision and Registration of Private Institutions would work closely with the schools to resolve all issues and ensure that parents and students are not subjected to unnecessary inconvenience or humiliation.
The minister also praised private schools for their significant contribution to education in Sindh, noting that along with the government, private institutions provide education to millions of children while meeting financial obligations such as taxes, rent and utilities.
Following the assurances of a coordinated and transparent verification mechanism, the Grand Alliance of Private Schools Associations announced the immediate withdrawal of the strike, declaring their commitment to work with the government to protect students’ rights while maintaining compliance with legal directives.
The resolution ensures that the verification of free education data will continue, but with clear guidelines to protect the dignity of school administrators and parents, promoting a collaborative environment for both education providers and authorities.
Earlier, Jamaat-e-Islami Karachi condemned raids by the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) on private schools to verify lists of students receiving free education.
According to the law, private schools must provide free tuition to at least 10 percent deserving students in their institutions.
However, recent raids by ACE to verify the facility resulted in a strong backlash.
Ameer Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Karachi Monem Zafar Khan said on Tuesday that it is extremely disturbing that parents of children receiving free education are being summoned to schools and their videos and photographs are being recorded.
This is a completely unethical and illegal practice that seriously threatens the dignity and self-respect of these parents and exposes them to humiliation and a sense of inferiority in society – something intolerable in any civilized society.
