TAXILA: An alarming collapse in student enrollment has pushed eight public sector colleges in Attock district to the verge of outsourcing, as the Punjab Education Department moves to stem mounting financial losses and revive institutions that have all but fallen silent.

According to education department sources, these colleges include Government Associate College, Chabb tehsil Jand, with just one student, Government Associate College, Bahtar tehsil Fatehjang with 25 students, Government Associate College, Fatehjang with 103 students, Government Shuja Khanzada Shaheed Associate College, tehsil Hazro with 150 students, Government Associate College, Jand city with 103 students, Government Associate College, Basal, tehsil Jand, with 53 students and Government Associate College, Pindigheb, Attock, with 110 students.

According to education department sources, the decision aims to improve educational standards, ensure efficient use of resources, and enhance institutional performance.

The sources informed that under the policy, colleges with significantly low admissions will be handed over to private management through a transparent outsourcing process.

An official of the Rawalpindi division colleges department told Dawnt that colleges failing to attract sufficient students will undergo administrative changes to improve their operational efficiency.

The goal, he said, is to revive underperforming colleges by introducing better management practices and increasing accountability.

He informed that the Punjab government is in the process of outsourcing or transferring the management of approximately 100-126 public colleges, prioritising those with low enrollment.

On the other hand, professors, lecturers and administrative staff of these colleges have opposed the government’s plan to outsource its colleges.

They have opposed the decision to outsource colleges, saying that outsourcing will weaken the government education system.

Talking to a reporter, a senior professor, requesting not to be named, said that the government must recruit lecturers and fill all vacant seats, which will certainly restore the confidence of students and parents and enrollment will automatically be increased.

It may be recalled here that around 200 schools of Attock have already been outsourced to the private sector in the district of Attock in November 2024, while more than 5,000 schools are being outsourced across Punjab, putting the future of the students at stake.

Published in Dawn, January 25th, 2026