Minister wants school bag act implemented

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Elementary and Secondary Education Shahram Tarakai on Tuesday directed the Private Schools Regulatory Authority (PSRA) to ensure implementation of the school bag act in letter and spirit and take strict action against schools violating the act.

Presiding over a meeting to review implementation of the school bag act, he said the public and private schools were bound to implement the act.

He directed the private schools to ensure corona vaccination of the students over the age of 12 years and asked the Private School Regulatory Authority to create awareness about it through seminars. He directed the authority to prepare comprehensive data of registration of private schools, examination halls and details of male and female students, besides taking action against schools with insufficient facilities for students. Speaking on the occasion, Private School Registration Authority Managing Director Kabir Afridi said that the registration of private schools, renewal of registration, up-gradation and other systems related to private schools had been digitized.

He said the private schools were bound to strictly follow the Single National Curriculum to avoid legal action, adding that recently 170 schools were closed and 96 were fined over violation.