worst inflation; Parents started taking their children from private schools and enrolling them in government schools

Karachi: Due to the worst inflation in the country, parents were forced to take their children from private schools and enroll them in government schools.

Historical inflation has started to have a profound impact on students, their education and educational institutions, private schools are facing dropouts due to inflation and a large number of parents in Karachi have expelled their children from private schools. It has started transferring to schools.

For this reason, an increase in the enrollment of government schools in Sindh, including Karachi, is being seen, while the owners and associations of private educational institutions are confirming the facts that their enrollment is decreasing and drop-outs are increasing. .

Tariq Shah, president of All Private Schools Association, admitted that the highest drop-out rate in private schools is reported at the ninth and tenth grade level because students studying in government schools are not only exempted from tuition fees. Also, the board does not charge enrollment and examination fees from them.

He added that books are already being given to students in public schools for free, on the contrary, the same child studying in a private school will pay the school along with enrollment and execution fees and also buy books.

Tariq Shah said that the same problems are happening in getting the fees and if there is more pressure on the payment of the fees, parents are preferring to keep the children at home.

Official statistics and information from government schools also confirm this. According to the latest data received by “Express” from the offices of Director of Schools Education Secondary and Director of Schools Education Primary in Karachi, the overall enrollment of Karachi has increased by about 10 thousand students.

The current total enrollment of government schools in Karachi is 4 lakh 4 thousand 521, out of which only 1 lakh 75 thousand 890 children are enrolled in primary schools while 2 lakh 28 thousand 631 students are enrolled in secondary schools.

It should be noted that these figures of secondary schools also include the enrollment of those campus schools in which secondary as well as primary schools are established in the same campus and are managed by the said directorate.

It should be remembered that earlier according to the annual school census of the year 2021/22, the enrollment of government schools in Karachi was 3 lakh 95 thousand 522.

Umbreen, a resident of Musa Colony, said that her husband was employed in a private company, four children were studying in private schools during her husband’s life, her husband died a year ago due to financial problems.

She said that after the death of her husband, the children could not go to school for five months because it was not possible for me to pay the fees. Due to inflation and low income, I cannot afford private school fees, these two older children are learning to be a motorcycle mechanic after school.

Ninth grade student Haris said that my father’s salary was very low. I studied in a private school till the sixth standard. Now I am studying in public school and after coming from school I do welding work.

The head teacher of a government primary school in central district told “Express” that children in different classes who were previously studying in private schools have enrolled in her school.

When we asked their parents why they are taking their child from a private school to a government school, many parents said in a depressed tone that we are not even able to give low fees in these circumstances, however, the teacher also said that That these children are also facing the challenge of non-supply of textbooks.

When “Express” contacted Secretary School Education Sindh Shireen Narejo in this regard and tried to know the reality, she not only confirmed the transfer of students from private schools to government educational institutions due to this inflation, but also this revelation. This year the total enrollment of Sindh has increased from 45 lakhs to 48 lakhs.

Secretary School Education said that till now we do not have any data on how many children have left private schools and joined government schools, but our DOs on the ground are saying that different classes of government schools. A good number of students admitted are coming from private schools.

However, Shireen Narejo also said that the increase in enrollment is not only due to inflation, but the recruitment of qualified teachers on merit is also a major reason.

It should be noted that apart from monthly fees in private schools, the burden of annual charges, purchase of textbooks from different publishers as well as the purchase of uniforms at least once a year also falls on the pocket of the parents while almost every sector of the country or The worst inflation in the industry and especially the rise in power tariffs and fuel prices has broken the back of the common man.

In this case, public schools are emerging as an alternative for those living at or below the average level.

When “Express” contacted the president of All Private Schools and Colleges Association Haider Ali on the issue of drop out from private schools due to inflation, he also confirmed this situation.

Haider Ali said that in 3 different campuses of his school located in Gulistan Johar and Korangi, around 150 children have dropped out in the last 3 months, while the situation is similar in other schools associated with the association.

He said that the ratio of fee collection from the parents who are paying fees has also decreased to 40% due to which private schools are facing serious challenges.

In addition, Dr Muhammad Memon, the former chairman of the Hyderabad Board and former Chairman of the Hyderabad Board, said that due to inflation, parents are no longer there, take the child home or send them to a public school, which parents are intelligent. There are better people to be sent to public school than to sit.