PESHAWAR: The death of 30 students and their woman teacher due to a school roof collapse here has exposed flaws in the affairs of the Private Schools Regulatory Authority (PSRA), which lacks the expertise to technically examine buildings and the power to close an institution for violating the law, say official sources.
The tragedy occurred on Thursday in the Afridiabad area of Peshawar, with all the children killed and injured belonging to the same vicinity.
Sources in the elementary and secondary education department told Dawn that PSRA employees had no expertise in building inspection as they’re not civil engineers.
They added that during inspections, PSRA officials inquired about the availability of the required number of classrooms, water, electricity and teachers as well as the registration of private schools.
PSRA officials lack expertise to technically examine buildings, can’t close institutions violating law, say sources
Sources said tehsil municipal administrations and the Peshawar Development Authority (PDA) were responsible for checking private school buildings in their respective areas as both approved building plans.
An official of the PSRA told Dawn on condition of anonymity that the provincial government should link the registration of private schools and the renewal of their registrations to fitness certificates issued by the relevant building control authorities.
He said the PSRA officials didn’t have authority to declare the building of a school fit or not good to be used.
The official wondered how the authority’s officials could assess the load-bearing capacity of a classroom roof, a task that could be performed only by an engineer.
He also complained that the PSRA officials had no power to close a private school for violating the prescribed rules and laws.
The official claimed that initially when the PSRA was established under the KP PSRA Act, 2017, it had the power to seal schools, but it was later withdrawn on the directives of a senior PTI leader who ran a chain of private schools.
On Friday, the education department also directed the PSRA to frame rules and regulations regarding building safety and student accommodation in private schools across the province.
“Refer to the subject cited above and to convey the directions of the competent authority (i.e. Secretary E&SE Department), in the wake of the unfortunate incident involving the collapse of a classroom roof at a private school in Peshawar, the need for a comprehensive regulatory framework to ensure the safety of school buildings and students has become imperative,” reads a letter addressed to the managing director of the PSRA.
It directed the MD to draft comprehensive rules and regulations for building safety in private schools in consultation with the relevant technical authorities, wherever required.
The letter said the proposed rules shall, inter alia, cover the structural fitness of school buildings, compliance with applicable building codes, periodic safety inspections, classroom capacity, adequate student seating arrangements, prevention of overcrowding, emergency exits, evacuation procedures and other essential safety requirements.
It added that the draft rules should also provide for an effective inspection and monitoring mechanism, identification and rectification of safety deficiencies, certification of building fitness and appropriate enforcement measures against institutions found violating the prescribed standards, in accordance with the applicable laws.
The letter said the draft rules and regulations, along with the authority’s recommendations, should be submitted to the secretary of the elementary and secondary education department within a week for examination and necessary action.
“The matter may be treated as most urgent,” the letter reads.
Published in Dawn, October 17th, 2026
