Punjab to Outsource Nearly 3,000 Govt Schools

The Government of Punjab has decided to outsource 2,735 additional public schools to NGOs and private operators through the Punjab Education Foundation (PEF) in a bid to improve education standards and reduce the number of out-of-school children.

Officials said the School Education Department has invited applications from private individuals and organisations. The deadline for submission is March 31, and selected operators will take control of the schools in April.

Plan to Outsource 14,000 Schools

Media reports suggest the government plans to outsource more than 14,000 government schools in two phases. The move could reportedly affect over 40,000 teaching posts.

Last year, the government completed the first phase by handing over more than 11,000 schools to private operators.

The development came to light during a meeting chaired by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz in Lahore on May 4, 2025.

Jamaat-e-Islami Criticises Move

Meanwhile, the chief of Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan, Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman, criticized the provincial government’s spending priorities.

Addressing a public gathering, he alleged that poverty in Punjab has increased by 31 percent while the chief minister purchased an aircraft worth Rs11 billion.

He claimed the government is spending public funds on advertisements instead of development projects.

Hafiz Naeem further said nearly 10 million children remain out of school in the province.

“From the outside, it appears as if rivers of milk are flowing in Punjab, but the ground reality is very different,” he remarked.

He added that education is a constitutional right but has increasingly become part of a class-based system, limiting access to quality schooling for many children.