SC hints at directing govt to nationalise private schools

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday hinted at issuing a direction to the government to nationalise all the private schools across the country.

The apex court restrained the private schools from charging fees during summer breaks and directed for issuing a public notice in Urdu and English dailies. The chief justice observed that the state under Article 25-A of the Constitution is duty bound to impart education to the children free of cost.

The CJP was hearing an appeal filed by various private schools against the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government’s policy binding the educational institutions for charging 50 percent fee during the summer vacations. He said currently more students are enrolled in private institutions than in government schools.

The Article 25-A of the Constitution relates to the right to education: the state shall provide free and compulsory education to all children from 5 to 16 years in such a manner as may be determined by law.

The chief justice further said a poor man’s child cannot afford to study in a private institution due to the massive fees, adding it’s government’s inefficiency that it could not ensure free education to all the children.

He said the parents would be happy for not paying school fee in the summer break and would have spent it on the leisure of their families. During the hearing, the chief justice hinted at nationalisation of all the private schools across the country. The chief justice said since there is no bar on nationalization “why we should not issue directives to the government to take over all the private schools.” The chief justice said the previous governments did not give preference to the education sector. He said they have already formed a commission for the enforcement of Article 25A of the Constitution.

Earlier, the Peshawar High Court had rejected a petition of the private schools. Now, they have approached the apex court. However, the bench has refused to give interim relief to private schools. The chief justice said they cannot grant relief to the management of private schools without hearing the viewpoint of parents.