Pasban Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman Altaf Shakoor on Sunday characterized private schools as a “white-collar mafia,” urging the government to intervene and protect parents from what he described as widespread financial exploitation.
Shakoor asserted that the poor standard of public education compels many families to enroll their children in private institutions, which he claims take financial advantage of the situation. He accused these schools of forcing parents to purchase uniforms, textbooks, and notebooks from specified vendors at double or triple the market rates.
The PDP leader also alleged that educational institutions frequently extort additional funds from parents under the pretext of various functions and school activities, on top of already high tuition fees.
Furthermore, Shakoor claimed that many private schools fail to comply with government policy mandating a certain percentage of free admissions for underprivileged students. He alleged these organizations evade taxes by not having their financial accounts audited, suggesting this practice is patronized by a “corrupt bureaucracy” in the education department.
The statement highlighted that numerous schools are allegedly operating illegally on amenity plots intended for cooperative societies. Shakoor contended that these establishments function as purely commercial enterprises rather than social welfare entities and criticized the relevant departments for their inaction.
In a direct appeal, Shakoor implored the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), anti-corruption bodies, and the education department to take stern action to halt the alleged exploitation and provide financial relief to parents.
He also advocated for improving the quality of government schools, proposing the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance their performance as they serve as the “last shelter for the children of poor families.”
Shakoor concluded that Pakistan”s education system requires a “complete overhaul” to produce a skilled workforce for the modern job market, recommending the integration of vocational training at every educational stage.