KARACHI, April 7: Representatives of private school management at their convention on Monday rejected Karachi Building Control Authority’s proposal for the regularization of private school buildings built on residential plots and certain other KBCA orders in this regard.
They demanded of the government to ensure withdrawal of KBCA notices within two weeks and warned of a big protest campaign if the demand was not met. Complete closure of all the private schools could be part of the campaign, they hinted. The participants also rejected KBCA’s orders to get the residential plots housing school buildings converted into commercial plots. “We are against all sorts of taxes on private schools as, we believe, these taxes will eventually affect their education process,” they added.
However, the former governor and federal minister, Lt-Gen (r) Moinuddin Haider, who was the chief guest at the convention, urged the private schools managements not to lose patience and hold talks with the concerned authorities on genuine problems.
At the same time, he advised the government to recognize the role of private sector in the field of education, listen to their problems and try to provide facilities wherever possible. “Private sector schools have been playing a significant role not only in enhancing literacy rate, but also in providing quality education to our children,” he added.
Gen Haider was of the view that instead of opposing the regularizationprocess, private schools should set up a committee of experts and legal consultants to propose amendment to the Building Ordinance 2002 with constructive approach. “If you think that your suggestions are for the betterment of the society and for the good of the thousands of Pakistani children, then they should be accommodated by the government,” he argued while responding to the points raised by the speakers.
He assured the management that he, too, was ready to take up theissues with higher authorities and bring to negotiating table the representatives of government, bureaucracy and education sector as well as private schools, in order to get the dispute settled on priority basis.
“We should try to facilitate the private sector, wherever it is possible, in terms of relief in taxes and utilities as well as provision of amenity plots, so that they could function peacefully and groom our children, who are the nation’s future builders, ultimately,” he added.
However, he urged the private school management to put in genuine efforts for the improvement educational environment, quality of education and add value to their students. He lamented school-owners’ attitude towards teachers, who often felt insecurity of job.
The convener and president of the Private Schools Action Committee, Zahid Rafiq Butt, said that if the government provided the private management with amenity plots, they would be able to shift their institutions from residential plots within a period of 3-4 years. He acknowledged that Gen Moinuddin Haider was committed to the cause of education and, as such, private schools saw a real advocate and mediator in him while pursuing the government for relief and review in its policy towards private schools.
He termed the KBCA notices ‘disasterous’ for school-owners, who were in a state of panic. “We have forged unity against the government policies and, if necessary, would not hesitate to go for a lock out,” he warned.
Mr Aslam Khan, Chairman of All Pakistan Private School Management Association, pointed out that possibility of a prolonged confrontation on the issue of KBCA notices and KESC tariff could not be ruled out. He urged schools, their staff and the students to play their role in this regard.
Muhammad Rizwan, representing a chain of private schools, indicated that certainly there appeared a lobby working against the interests of education. “Undermining educational institutions tantamount to destabilizing the country,” he remarked.
Tanveer Ahmed Khan, Chairman of Pakistan Private Schools Management Association, said that ironically, under a federal government decision Wapda had already dropped the idea of applying commercial tariff on private schools, but it was the KESC which was observing a dilly dally tactics. He said that private schools were ready to reduce their fees by 25 per cent provided all taxes on these schools were withdrawn, KESC revised tariff downwards, and KBCA withdrew the notices.
A couple of speakers criticized the office of the EDO (Education) and maintained that it, instead of advocating the cause of private schools, was taking measures in favour of the KBCA. “We would not succumb to any pressure from the EDO with regard to the regularization of building structure.”
