ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has decided to change its bylaws to allow pre-schools in residential areas.

According to existing rules, private schools cannot be operated in residential areas. But the planning and building control directorates have recommended allowing pre-schools in residential areas.

If all goes as planned, the CDA will move all the 363 existing private schools out of the residential areas for non-conforming use. The civic agency has already rejected a proposal of private school operators for allowing pre-primary schools in residential areas.

The building control directorate is preparing a summary for the upcoming meeting of the CDA board for approval.

At a meeting chaired by Member Planning Asad Mehboob Kayani and attended by Director Building Control Faisal Naeem and others on Monday, it was decided that only pre-school education activities would be allowed in the residential areas.

At a later stage, operations will be launched to move over 363 private schools out of residential areas.

Sources said the member planning had directed the director building control to prepare a summary for the upcoming CDA board meeting allowing only pre-school education in residential areas. It was also decided that from now onward the CDA would earmark plots in all sub-sectors of new sectors for private schools.

“Today, we decided to formulate a new policy allowing pre-school education in residential areas,” the member planning told Dawn.

“As per the existing rules, there is no provision for opening of private schools in residential areas. All existing private schools are being run illegally but we realise that at least there should be a provision for pre-school education in residential areas,” he said, adding after getting the new policy approved from CDA board, the building control directorate would start action against the existing schools in residential areas.

The director building control told Dawn that in the developed sectors there was a ban imposed by courts on the creation of new plots. “Whenever, the ban is lifted we will also recommend for creation of new plots in developed sectors to accommodate private schools,” he said. The official explained that the CDA had already allotted plots to a number of schools in H-8 but many of the schools were still being operated in residential areas.

“After completing legal formalities, we will seal all such schools if they did not close down their operations in residential areas.”

The official said there was another category of school operators in H-8 who got plots in the sector for schools but did not construct the buildings.

“Through notices we will ask the allottees to construct buildings in three months otherwise the plots would be cancelled,” he said.

In H-8, the CDA had allotted a large number of amenity plots to private schools against nominal charges. However, a few years ago the CDA changed its policy under which plots would be openly auctioned.

In May this year, CDA officials and a number of private school operators held a meeting before formulating the new policy. On the direction of Islamabad High Court, the CDA conducted a public hearing, which was attended by over 100 operators of private schools.

A couple of years ago, the CDA had issued notices to school operators to move out from the residential areas but the owners approached the IHC, saying the future of 100,000 students was at stake because of the CDA abrupt notices.

Later, the court directed the CDA to hold a public hearing and come up with an amicable solution. During the hearing, President Private School Association Zofran Elahi said that 20 years ago there were 393 government schools and now the number had reached only 422. During the same period, he added, the population of the capital city increased five times but the government did not establish schools as per the requirement of the population.

He said the private sector had filled the gap and if the CDA wanted to solve the non-conforming issue of schools it should consider the China model in which states made buildings and gave to schools on rent.

Mr Elahi told Dawn on Monday that private schools had asked the CDA to allow pre-primary education in residential areas as it was difficult for children to learn education away from their homes.

“We are again demanding CDA allow pre-primary school education in residential areas,” he said, adding if the civic agency wanted to shift all private schools out of residential areas it should allot plots to the operators in the same areas at controlled rates.

Published in Dawn, July 3rd, 2018