The government of Sindh School Education Department has decided to privatise the six key teacher training institutions and colleges in Sukkur, Larkana, Mirpurkhas, two teacher’s training institutes and colleges in Karachi including one of the most important teacher training institutes, Provincial Institute of Teacher Education (PITE) Sindh Shaheed Benazirabad (Nawabshah).
The Public-Private Partnership Mode of School Education Department (SED) called expression of interest from the parties and firms.
Education experts and teachers’ bodies showed their concern regarding handing over of said established training institutions to the private firms in the name of privatization instead of their revitalisation.
Education Department Secretary Abdul Aziz Uqaili in his detailed reply to The News said that Sindh Education Department had initiated various reforms in Education Department for the ultimate benefit of children of Sindh. On the one hand, department was trying to increase students’ attendance and enrollment in Sindh schools by employing various mechanisms and on the other, increasing attention was being given to improve the quality of education which included quality of teaching as well. In the initial phase six teacher’s training institutes and colleges were being offered to private sector for managing and operating to increase the quality of teacher training and hence the quality of education to students in schools.
Education Department has already initiated handing over of USID-SBEP Schools to EMOs (Education Management Organisations) in Public Private Partnership Mode and has been contemplating to improve teacher training and quality by engaging well qualified and reputable private partners. In this regard, department has been approached by non-governmental organisations to manage and operate a TTI in PPP mode.
The concept was sent to Public Private Partnership Policy Board headed by Sindh chief minister for approval and was accorded the same. Whoever eventually wins the contracts for these schools shall depend on the bidding documents and evaluation criteria prepared by the transaction adviser to be hired by department for this purpose.
Secretary Uqaili added that first, it was incorrect to say that TTICs were being privatised; these were being offered for a private operation and management and would work under the educational and administrative framework of Education Department. Second, the department was going to sign a concession agreement with private partner to be chosen and might end up giving some payment to private partners for running these TTICs for the benefit of teachers and students. Since the bidding would be nationally competitive, the department expected to get private partner at reasonable cost. Further details would be unfolded when transaction advisor did the analysis.
The heads of such institutes have participated in various meetings and have been made aware of the initiative. The initiative shall only positively influence them as there will be no effect on their employment status but the working and discipline of the TTICs will get better.
Secretary Uqaili concluded that MTTICs had been working since long but unfortunately had not been able to impart the pre-service and in-service training up to the mark, due to various capacity and operational issues. The introduction of the private reputable organisations as a pilot project for the six TTICs would generate a healthy competition for TTICs being run by government. The outcome of government run and private partner run TTICs would be assessed by a third party for impact evaluation.