Educationists demand amendment in schools act 2015

QUETTA: The provincial educationists have expressed reservations over the passage of the Balochistan Private Schools Regulatory and Regulation Authority Act 2015 by the Balochistan Assembly, saying they were left out of the consultation process due to which the province was witnessing protests.

“If we would have been consulted before the passage of the act protests would not have been taking place all over Balochistan,” said Professor Azad Bin Haider while addressing an educational conference held under the banner of All Balochistan Progressive Private Schools Association at the Quetta Press Club on Tuesday.

Education experts Muhammad Nawaz Pandrani, Umar Farooq and others were present on the occasion.

Prof Haider said, “We are expecting an amendment bill 2018.”

He lamented that the autonomy of the school owner had ended with the passage of the act and that they were at the mercy of the Balochistan Education Foundation.

The act included taking rent from the owner with a five-year agreement, details of schools bank accounts regarding income and expenditures, minimum salary of Rs15,000 for teachers, taking Rs15,000 under NOC per year from every school, twice a year inspection of all schools by the inspector and other strict conditions, he said.

Haider demanded of the provincial government to release without delay Rs120.5 million allocated under the four-year grant for private schools and the amount of Rs280 million obtained from former chief minister Dr Abdul Malik Baloch to help private schools also be released.

He also demanded explanation for the Rs90 million obtained by the government for issuing NOCs to private schools.

Source: Express Tribune