ISLAMABAD: Representatives of teaching and non-teaching staff, including principals associations, called on Education Minster Rana Tanveer on Wednesday, urging him to stop the transfer of government land to a commercial firm for the construction of a private institution.

The CDA had allotted 21 kanal in F-11/2 for the setting up of a government school. The worth of the land is said to be over Rs20 billion. According to a press release, the delegation visited the education ministry to share their reservations. It said that the minister got the “planned MOU signing ceremony between a private firm and the education ministry stopped”.

Meanwhile, an official of the education ministry who was supposed to attend the ceremony was removed from his post by the Federal Education Secretary, Waseem Ajmal Chaudhry.

FDE deputy director general removed, DG on thin ice

Some officials alleged FDE Acting Deputy Director General Dr Ali Ahmed Kharal was directed to attend the said ceremony, but he did not turn up and in the evening he was removed. FDE Director General Dr Ikram Ali Malik is already on sick leave. Sources claimed that the secretary has prepared a summary, which would be moved to Prime Minister Office for the removal of the FDE DG as well, proposing the ministry’s joint secretary, Amjad Ahmed, for the coveted role. There is no official confirmation in this regard, but insiders claim that both officials were in strong opposition to the construction of the private school on the land meant for public school to offer free education.

The ministry and FDE want to hand over 21 kanal to the private firm for setting up an upscale school under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) mode.

It is being proposed that the private firm will hand over the school to the FDE after 20 years. According to the proposal, the private firm will be allowed to charge 80pc students; however, “20pc students will be given free education”.

The issue was highlighted recently by media and teaching and non-teaching associations. They said that the plot was meant for public school for free education, but it was being given to a private firm for commercial use. The minister recently had also taken notice of the issue and sought a report in this regard. Education Secretary Waseem Ajmal Chaudhry said that the removal of the acting deputy director general had nothing to do with the said school project. He said the DDG was given the temporary charge by the director general who was not authorised to do so. About a purported summary circulated for the removal of the FDE DG Dr Ikram Malik, he refused to comment.

Asked about the rationale behind the construction of the private school on public land and MoU planned signing ceremony, which according to the JAC was cancelled, he said: “The ceremony was not planned for Wednesday; rather a consultation meeting [which was not held] was planned to discuss terms and condition of the [MoU] draft,” he claimed.

According to the secretary, the entire process was transparent and after competitive process the ministry wanted to engage the private sector in education which was the reason behind the planned construction of the private school on government’s land under the build-operate-transfer basis. He said that the project was not halted, rather consultation process is underway.

Published in Dawn, July 27th, 2023