Introduction
Education plays a major role in the rise and fall of nations, particularly in the twenty-first century, when the importance of education has a significant impact on meeting the fast-growing issues. The rise of global rivalry in education and technology is mainly responsible. This competitive climate is essential for every country’s success. The quality of a country’s human resources is determined by its educational system. Sustainable economic development necessitates a trained workforce, which can only be obtained by education. Individual productivity and efficiency can only be increased by education. All countries, including Pakistan, have distinct educational systems, but they can be divided into two categories: private and public schools. Private schools are gaining widespread acceptability in Pakistan today, ensuring the country’s long-term progress.
The Emergence of Private Sector Education
In Pakistan, the private sector became a major provider of education services in the 1990s and 2000s, both in absolute terms and in comparison, to the state sector. Private educational institutions play an important role not only in reducing illiteracy but also in improving the academic environment for students and teachers. The private sector made a substantial contribution to the eradication of illiteracy in emerging economies. Private schools, if well-managed, have the potential to improve Pakistan’s educational standards.
Statistics of Private Sector Education
Between 1999-2000 and 2007-08, the number of private schools expanded by 69 percent, while government schools increased by only 8%. In the year 2000, the private sector was providing educational services to approximately 6 million youngsters (Federal Bureau of Statistics, 2000). In 2007-08, this number grew to 12 million, accounting for 34% of total enrollment. During this time, the number of teachers in private educational institutions doubled (Federal Bureau of Statistics, 2007).
In 2007-08, private educational institutions accounted for 30% of all educational institutions in Pakistan. Since 1999-2000, when private institutions accounted for only 19% of the total, this number has risen dramatically. In comparison to the public sector, the private sector’s share of all educational institutions is quite large at the intermediate (61%) and high levels (59%) (National Education Policy, 2009).
Punjab has the highest percentage of private educational institutions (65%), followed by Sindh (16%), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (11%), Azad Jammu and Kashmir (3%), Gilgit-Baltistan (2%), and Balochistan, Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), and Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) in terms of geographical spread (1 percent each) (Bano, 2009).
Causes of Rapid Growth of Private Education
Superior test results, better physical infrastructure, and lower rates of teacher absenteeism are just a few of the factors that make private schooling more appealing to parents than public schools.
In public schools, the pupil-to-teacher ratio has grown, prompting parents to move their children to private schools. When public schools have a high teacher-to-student ratio, private schools are more likely to arise. Four primary factors for the emergence of private schools in Punjab Province, Pakistan, were explored. Household income, parental education, public school distance from the home, and English as a medium of instruction in private schools all contribute to the rise of private schooling (Ali, 2012). In Pakistan, parents prefer private schooling to public schooling; even the poorest parents send their children to private schools. In the vast majority of circumstances, the overall performance of private schools around the world in terms of education outperforms public schools
A way forward
The outcomes of the argument over private versus public schools may be a popular topic of discussion, but at a policy level, it is critical to recognize that Pakistan’s current education crisis cannot be solved by a single educational player. To tackle the challenges, multiple participants are required in the process, not only the government. To meet the difficulties, the government requires assistance from the private sector. A concerted action by all parties, including households, government, commercial sector, and civil society, is urgently required.
Conclusion
The rise of private schools, particularly low-cost schools, has led education officials and observers to consider the benefits as well as the risks that this trend brings. While many see the state’s traditional role as a provider of educational services as natural and irreplaceable, a growing number of commentators, both in Pakistan and abroad, advocate for a laissez-faire policy that allows the private sector to emerge as a key provider of education and argue that the state should not compete with private schools. While the government’s position as a funder and provider of education is still debatable, the rise of private education is often viewed by many as proof of parents’ lack of faith in the government’s ability to offer a high-quality education to all children. Regardless of other factors, private education has become a prominent phenomenon in Pakistan due to its startling scale in terms of institutions, teachers, and enrolment.
Bibliography
Ali, R. E. (2012). Household choice of public versus private schooling: a case study of Bahawalpur City. Middle-East Journal Of Scientific Research, 11, 94-99. Retrieved from https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/34794/
Bano, M. (2009). Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) as ‘anchor’ of educational reforms: lessons from Pakistan. UNESCO. Retrieved from https://ppp.worldbank.org/public-private-partnership/sites/ppp.worldbank.org/files/documents/Pakistan_PPP%20as%20anchor%20of%20educational%20reform_EN_0.pdf
Government of Pakistan. (2000). Census of Private Schools 1999-2000. Federal Bureau of Statistics’. Retrieved from https://www.pbs.gov.pk/content/census-private-educational-institutions-pakistan-1999-2000
Government of Pakistan. (2007). Pakistan Social and Living Measurement Standards. Islamabad: Federal Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved from https://www.pbs.gov.pk/content/pakistan-social-and-living-standards-measurement
Government of Pakistan. (2009). National Education Policy. Ministry of Education. Retrieved from http://i-saps.org/upload/report_publications/docs/1401025704.pdf
Research Questions
What has caused private education institutions to grow so rapidly?
What are the statistics of private-sector education in Pakistan?
Are private schools providing better and qualitative education as compared to public schools? [/fancy_box][fancy_box box_style=”color_box_basic” icon_family=”fontawesome” image_url=”8182″ box_color_opacity=”1″ box_alignment=”left” border_radius=”default” image_loading=”default” icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-envelope-open” icon_size=”60″]
Key Takeaways
In Pakistan, the private sector became a major provider of education services in the 1990s and 2000s, both in absolute terms and in comparison, to the state sector.
Private educational institutions play an important role not only in reducing illiteracy but also in improving the academic environment for students and teachers.
Between 1999-2000 and 2007-08, the number of private schools expanded by 69 percent, while government schools increased by only 8%. In the year 2000, the private sector was providing educational services to approximately 6 million youngsters. In 2007-08, this number grew to 12 million, accounting for 34% of total enrollment (Federal Bureau of Statistics, 2000).
Punjab has the highest percentage of private educational institutions (65%), followed by Sindh (16%), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (11%), Azad Jammu and Kashmir (3%), Gilgit-Baltistan (2%), and Balochistan, Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), and Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) in terms of geographical spread (1 percent each) (Bano, 2009).
Superior test results, better physical infrastructure, and lower rates of teacher absenteeism are just a few of the factors that make private schooling more appealing to parents than public schools.[/fancy_box]
Leave a Reply