KARACHI: The Sindh government on Tuesday instructed the school education and literacy department to carry out within three months a thorough audit and inspection of private schools across the province to verify if they were providing free education to the required 10 per cent of enrolled students.

The directive came following the order of the Sindh High Court on a set of constitutional petitions seeking implementation of the statutory 10 per cent freeship to the disadvantaged students under Section 10 in Chapter IV of the Sindh Right of Free and Compulsory Education Act 2013.

In a letter to the regional directorates of inspection and registration of private schools in Karachi, Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas, Shaheed Benazirabad, Sukkur and Larkana, the education department asked them to conduct the audit of private schools through the already constituted district-wise committees.

Sources said that a detailed compliance report would be submitted to the SHC additional registrar within four months, indicating the schools found in violation of the law and action initiated against them.

They said the registration of the private school would be suspended or cancelled in accordance with Section 12 of the Act in case it failed to comply with the mandatory provision of providing free education to the requisite 10 per cent of the enrolled students.

The SHC bench at Sukkur on Monday ordered on the petitions for comprehensive audit and inspection of all registered private schools in the province.

The SHC order said: “Once again, the concerned officials, who have already been ordered by this court for compliance, are directed to make compliance and furnish such reports on the next date of hearing. It is made clear that all the directors of six regions be in attendance on the next days of hearing and also to explain to why they have not complied with the Sindh Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2013 and orders passed by the court.”

The sources said the audit data shall be precisely examined and verified according to the attached checklist.

Published in Dawn, November 12th, 2025