LAHORE: The Punjab Assembly Standing Committee on School Education has expressed strong reservations over the government’s school outsourcing policy, revealing that conditions in several schools have worsened rather than improved.

The meeting, chaired by Committee Chairman Noshir Langrial, was attended by the secretary of the Punjab School Education Department along with senior officials and other concerned authorities.

The committee voiced serious concerns about the impact of outsourcing on public schools.

Chairman Langrial stated that after personally visiting several outsourced schools, he found the situation unsatisfactory. “I have visited schools myself, and the conditions are not good,” he remarked.

The committee also expressed alarm over the declining number of students in government schools. Members pointed out that instead of improving educational standards, the outsourcing policy appears to have negatively affected both the quality of education and student enrollment.

According to committee members, student numbers are steadily decreasing as a result of the outsourcing process. They stressed that immediate attention is required from the relevant departments to address the emerging issues.

The committee directed the respective authorities to take urgent corrective measures and emphasised the need for comprehensive reforms and an effective monitoring system within the school education sector to prevent further deterioration.

Published in Dawn, February 20th, 2026