Blaming the 'mafia'

Private schools have become the favourite whipping boys of all and sundry. They are called the 'mafia' by parents, politicians and the judiciary. Interestingly, come admission time and one sees long queues of parents outside these 'mafia' schools anxious to get their kids entrusted to the very "mafia". Is the hypocrisy not jarring?

Education is a fundamental right of every child. In all countries of the world, governments work to provide education through government schools. Not so in Pakistan. Here provincial governments abuse education budgets for corruption to line their pockets. Hence, we sadly hear of 'ghost schools'. The government and the worthy Supreme Court believe that it is the responsibility of the private sector to fulfill the global requirement of education for all. Not only should the private sector assume this responsibility, it should do so on terms to be dictated by the education ministers and the judiciary. One is constrained to ask why private schools are being destroyed when the government is incapable of providing basic education of reasonable quality? Do parents realize their targeting of schools is like cutting the tree branch on which they are themselves sitting.

Maaz Abbasi

Karachi