SC orders constitution of body to remove ghost schools

The News

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Friday ordered establishment of Accreditation Boards to improve the existing miserable condition of the educational institutions in the country besides removing of ghost schools with action against responsible persons, drawing salaries and other perks without discharging their duties.

A three-judge bench of the apex court, headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, announced its reserved verdict of 100-page in response to a petition regarding miserable condition of the schools.

The verdict ruled that all provinces and Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) should established Accreditation Boards under law with an authority, inter alia, to improve current miserable conditions of the institutions and also to ensure removal of ghost schools immediately with penal action against responsible persons who had been receiving salaries and other perks without performing their duties.

The court directed all the provincial governments and ICT administration to protect constitutional right of education to primary, middle and high school level  students by ensuring their presence in the schools through enhancing budgetary allocation for education system.

The court observed that the task of teaching the students has been suffering badly, which is an issue of national importance adversely affecting the future prosperity of Pakistan.

In this respect, the court asked the registrars of the concerned high  courts to ensure expeditious decision relating to any litigation pending, adding that cases, pending before the high courts and Supreme Court concerning the schools properties shall also be disposed of expeditiously.