RAWALPINDI:
Following the privatisation of government schools, the Punjab government has now initiated the process to privatise public colleges, triggering strong protests from professors and lecturers’ associations.
So far, 12,500 public schools have been handed over under the privatisation programme.
Punjab currently has 750 colleges, and in the first phase, 100 of them — including both commerce colleges in Rawalpindi — will be outsourced.
From November 1, an additional 7,000 primary and middle schools, along with higher and higher secondary schools, will be included in the next phase. Schools with fewer than 100 students will be outsourced, while staffing will be determined by enrolment numbers.
Punjab Education Minister Rana Sikandar said the government cannot justify the Rs300,000 annual cost per student at commerce colleges.
He announced plans to establish large, modern commerce colleges equipped with up to 400 computers and advanced labs.
The entire schools and colleges privatisation process is expected to be completed by March 31, 2026, before the new academic year. Teachers’ unions have announced protests, sit-ins, and strikes across Punjab against the move.
