The Supreme Court of Pakistan has set a Dec 31 deadline to close 30,000 private schools in all 42 cantonments across the country, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.  

There are 700 registered high schools in Cantt Board and Walton Board in Lahore that have also been given Dec 31 deadline and overall 1170 schools will be closed in Lahore Cantonment Board.

Pertinent to note that there are more than 30,000 private schools in 42 cantonment boards across the country with 400,000 teachers and other staff educating four million children.

Moreover, President All Pakistan Private Schools Federation Kashif Mirza has said that the closure of private schools in cantonment areas would result in the hype of out-of-school children and would also waste the academic year of millions of students.

In the light of directives given by the Supreme Court (SC) to put an end to commercial activities in cantonments, the Cantonment Boards ordered the owners of over 30,000 private schools situated in cantonments across the country to shut down their institutions.

Only in Lahore Cantonment, buildings of over 2600 private schools will be vacated. So far, more than 10,000 private schools have closed and 700,000 teachers have lost their jobs, due to COVID.

Kashif Mirza further argued there was no alternative space to relocate so many schools in Cantt areas across the country.

All Pakistan Private Schools Federation appealed to the chief justice of Pakistan, prime minister and army chief to review the decision.

Reporter Akmal Soomro