Change in academic year is demanded by private schools

Sheikh Muhammad Akram, Chairman of the Pakistan Alliance of Private Schools Association (PAPSA), requested the government to reconsider its decision and settle their issues at a press conference in Lahore.

Private schools have petitioned the government to reverse its decision to begin the academic year in August, claiming that the decision burdens schools that are already struggling to stay afloat.

"Private educational institutions are in financial trouble as a result of the lockdown school closures. If schools do not get fees for June and July, the situation would worsen" according to Sheikh Akram.

If their demands are not fulfilled, he threatened; the alliance will ignore government directives and begin the new academic year in April.

Sheikh Akram believes the government should acknowledge private schools as stakeholders and include them in key decision-making processes.

He urged that the government grant interest-free loans and tax exemptions to minor private schools that had been hit by the pandemic's frequent closures.