PAKISTAN’S tuition ‘industry’is estimated to be worth billions of rupees. Most such centres operate as private businesses with little or no government oversight. These centres almost always lack emergency exits, fire safety equipment, structural Etness certiñcates, sanitation standards and qualified staff. The absence of regulation has transformed many educational facilitiesinto potentialsafety hazards.The recenttragedyin Lahoreis perhaps the strongest evidence of this regulatory vacuum.
A robust regulatory framework should begin with compulsory registration of every tuition centre, regardless of size.
Registration should require submission of ownership documents, structural safety certificates issued by qualified engineers, fire safety clearance, sanitation certification, emergency evacuation plans, and verification of instructors’ credentials.
Annual renewal should depend upon successful inspections rather than permanent licensing.
Regular inspections should effectively assess building integrity, electrical safety,classroom occupancy limits, ventilation, sanitation and compliance with child protection standards. Also, a centralised digital registration portal should maintain real-time records of all licensed tuition centresforparents’convenience.
Every instructor should possess minimum educational credentials relevant to the subjects being taught. Child safeguarding policies including mechanisms for reporting harassment or abuse must be incorporated into the licensing process.
Financial transparency constitutes another important dimension. Many academies collect substantial fees without issuing receipts or maintaining proper financial records. Registration would facilitate documentation, taxation, consumer protection, and legal accountability while discouraging fraudulent operators.
Some critics argue that excessive regulation could discourage small neighbourhood tutors. To resolve this grievance, governments can adopt a proportionate licensing model, where individual home tutors face simplified registration while larger commercial academies comply with stricter operational requirements.
Imran Ali Hyderabad