‘Closure of private schools in Cantts to increase out-of-school children’

LAHORE: President of All Pakistan Private Schools Federation Kashif Mirza has said that closure of private schools in Cantt areas would result in an increase in out-of-school children besides wasting the academic year of millions of students, said a press release received here on Monday.

There are more than 30,000 private schools in 42 cantonment boards across the country with 400,000 teachers and other staff educating four million children.

In the light of directives given by the Supreme Court to put an end to commercial activities in cantonments, the Cantonment Boards ordered the owners of over 30,000 private schools situated in cantonments across the country to shut down their institutions.

Only in Lahore Cantonment, buildings of over 2,600 private schools will be vacated. So far, more than 10,000 private schools have closed and 700,000 teachers have lost their jobs due to Covid-19. The All Pakistan Private Schools Federation has appealed to the chief justice of Pakistan to review the decision.