DLP Report
PESHAWAR
Principals and owners of private schools under the All Private Partners Schools Association Khyber Pakhtunkhwa staged a protest demonstration outside the Peshawar Press Club (PPC) against the Elementary and Secondary Education Foundation (E&SEF).
The protest was led by the provincial president of the association, Zafar Iqbal, and was attended by a large number of private school principals and owners, who carried placards and banners highlighting their demands.
Addressing the protesters, association representatives stated that the Iqra Farogh-e-Taleem Voucher Scheme was launched in 2014 to enroll out-of-school children in areas lacking government schools.
Under the scheme, students were admitted to private schools at a monthly fee of Rs 500 per child, with a commitment of quarterly payments to the schools.
They alleged that while payments were regularly made until 2017, the E&SE Foundation has failed to release payments from 2018 to 2022.
During this period, the number of enrolled children reportedly increased to 92,000. Due to the continued non-payment and alleged indifference of the concerned authorities, many children were forced to leave school and again became child laborers and street children after five years.
The protesters further stated that all required verifications were completed, including internal verification by the foundation, third-party verification through the Education Monitoring Unit (EMU), and that court decisions were also in favor of the schools. Despite this, they claimed that payments have still not been released, adding that payments made to a few schools were negligible.
They criticized the stance of the Managing Director of the E&SE Foundation, alleging that he denies payment obligations by claiming that the liability ended with the conclusion of the project.
The protesters questioned this justification and termed it unfair to withhold billions of rupees from financially struggling private schools.
The association demanded that the Chief Minister take immediate notice of the issue, order an audit, and ensure the release of approximately Rs 1.5 billion owed under the scheme.
They further demanded strict action against officials involved if corruption was proven. The protesters warned that if their demands are not met, they will stage a sit-in protest in front of the Provincial Assembly on February 6, along with schoolchildren.
