PUNJAB has outsourced some 18,000 primary schools to the private sector, with plans to outsource more schools. The government is also thinking about outsourcing middle and high schools as well as colleges. Will this momentum encompass universities? Let us wait and see.

The outsourcing ‘movement’ is not restricted to educational institutions. Punjab has been doing this in the health sector as well. And the federal government has been talking of airports and ports in this context. Other provinces are not far behind. Sindh has significant public-private partnerships in health. Moving forward, it seems the scope and intensity of outsourcing are likely to increase.

But what is the benefit of outsourcing? It should be remembered that educational institutions are run by governments across the world. We have excellent government-run schools in developed and rich countries as well as in developing and not-so-rich countries. Education is a public good and is usually provided, funded and managed by governments across the world. So, what is the advantage of outsourcing education? Why is this slowly becoming an article of faith in Punjab?

One argument that is given is that it is cheaper for the government to pay the private sector than to provide and manage education through its own department. Punjab was paying Rs800 or so to the private sector when its own per-child expenditure in public schools used to be roughly Rs2,500 per month.

The answer lies not in outsourcing but in improving the quality of service and governance.

A few caveats should be........

© Dawn