Moalims

MULTAN:
Of the 5,300 private schools in Multan division, only 1,396 are registered with the Education Department, a department official told The Express Tribune.
“Most of the schools are run on a commercial basis without meeting the requirements set by the Education Department,” said the official who did not want to be named.
The department says it is set to launch a crackdown on unregistered private schools in Multan, Jalalpur Pirwala and Shujabad.
“The crackdown aims at ensuring that private schools are registered with the Education Department,” said EDO Ashfaq Gujjar who has been tasked with leading the operation. He said the crackdown would help check the increasing number of unregistered schools.
As many as 39 students were trapped under the rubble on Saturday when the roof of a private school collapsed in Multan’s Muzaffargarh Road area.
“After the tragic incident, the government has ordered a survey of private schools with hazardous buildings,” the EDO said. “We will not only take action against the unregistered schools but also check building-fitness certificates of all schools,” he said.
Gujjar said registration of the schools that failed to produce the certificates would be annulled.
Special teams from the Directorate of Education will work under the EDO. “The teams will identify unregistered private schools and also evaluate fee structures at all schools,” the EDO said.According to the official, 26 new private schools have submitted applications for registration.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 29th, 2015.