Changes to PEIRA rules objected

Islamabad

The private educational institutions operating in Islamabad Capital Territory have objected to the proposed changes to the rules governing their regulator, PEIRA.

Lately, the Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) drafted changes to the PEIRA rules especially on registration of privately-owned schools and renewal of registration, the number of students in a class, maintenance of books and registers, contravention of the PEIRA Ordinance, grievances of teaching and non-teaching employees, regulation of fee structure, and capacity building of teachers, and shared them with stakeholders for feedback.

Dr Afzal Babur, who heads the Private Schools Network, told ‘The News’ on Friday that the privately-owned schools had serious reservations about the draft changes to the PEIRA rules and,
therefore, the CADD should engage them for corrective moves.

He said some tangible steps were required to turn Islamabad into a model knowledge city in line with the prime minister’s vision.

The PSN president regretted that under the constitution, access to education was the basic right of all citizens but the successive governments didn’t fulfil their responsibilities in this respect.

He said six years had passed since the implementation of the Section 25-A of 18th Constitutional Amendment, which declared free and compulsory education a fundamental right for all children aged between five and 16 years, but nothing positive had happened on the ground.

Dr Afzal Babur said the CADD especially PEIRA should encourage and facilitate the private educational institutions offering education up to the primary level at low fee.

He said every effort should be made at the government level to succeed the public-private partnership for the purpose.