Government likely to set up education regulatory authority

The government is likely to set up Education Regulatory Authority (ERA) in the federal capital to deal with private sector educational institutions, some of which the education ministry says were involved in unhealthy practices, it is reliably learnt.
An official told Business Recorder that within the capital territory there were some 500 private institutes functioning outside the regulatory control or any policy paradigm of the government.
However, the government has been informed that a few of the private educational institutions in the federal capital were reported to be indulging in many unhealthy practices as the general public brought such issues into the notice of concerned authorities.
Citing an example, the official said that a complainant, Sardar Muhammad Farooq Abbasi filed a writ petition in the Lahore High Court, Rawalpindi Bench, against private educational institutions, levelling charges of exorbitant fees without any quid pro quo.
The petitioner had sought judicial direction to the federal government to make and promulgate a law to provide for proper checks over the private educational institutions in the ICT. The court directed the education secretary to submit a report in that regard, the official maintained.
"There is no law in force in ICT through which the government can take action against any private school for charging heavy fee or involving unhealthy practices," the sources said, adding that a draft law had been framed to deal with those educational institutions, which were involved in unhealthy activities. According to these sources, provincial governments have already enacted laws to regulate the working of private educational institutions, but the interior ministry was unaware of any such law.
"Interior ministry is not well-informed of such laws in provinces as they claim no provincial government had enacted any law for private sector schools", the official maintained. The official further said the education ministry has submitted summary to the federal cabinet, seeking approval for setting up of a regulatory authority to regulate the functioning of private educational institutions. The issue, the official said would be considered in the next cabinet meeting, expected to be held on Wednesday.