WE would like to draw the attention of the Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif towards the genuine problems of Foundation Assisted Schools (FAS) of Punjab Education Foundation, Lahore.

Currently in Punjab 2,400 FAS schools are operative and more than 1.5 million students are getting free education. However, the problems of these schools have multiplied during the last four years and no positive step has been taken for improvement.

The fee structure paid by PEF on a student enrollment basis, i.e. Rs400 per student, is extremely low. The government of Punjab is spending Rs2000 to Rs2500 per student monthly on public-sector schools’ education and Rs15,000 per student on the ‘Daanish School System’.

PEF delusively has curtailed the fee instead of increasing it as per the agreement clause to cater to inflation. It advised all schools to provide admissions to students but has not been paying fee for the last one year on one pretext or another.

It is increasing the number of schools swiftly, neglecting totally the existing ones. Now, practically, the fee per student is Rs250 to Rs300.

As the school owner/principal has to cover all expenditures of the school with this fee and cannot charge the students any penny, he is compelled to pay less salaries to teachers ranging from Rs2,500 to Rs4,000 despite their being postgraduate and graduate teachers who work hard, enabling the students to qualify for the standard QAT Test each year held by the NTS.

At least 50,000 teachers engaged in these schools are optimistic that one or another day the PEF would take mercy upon them, raising their salaries.

The decision regarding the admissions of nursery class allowing only 30 students throughout the year is also ridiculous. Both the schools and parents are badly affected. Students who have attained the age of five years have to wait for their turn to get admissions in PEF-affiliated schools.

Poor parents are compelled to get them admitted in a PEF partner school partly because they cannot afford high fees of private schools and partly because their other children are studying in a PEF school located at their doorsteps. Consequently, children are not sent to a school.

According to the agreement, schools are PEF partner schools but the attitude of PEF officials towards the school principal/owner is like that of a landlord towards his tenants. The PEF does not hear or consult schools in any matter. Whoever dares to complain is victimised very callously. Particularly schools of southern Punjab, numbering more than 1,200, are facing unjustified penalties.

M. MAJID, SHAHZAD AHMAD & ABDUL REHMAN Muzaffargarh