PUNJAB’S large-scale outsourcing of public schools is among the province’s most ambitious education reforms. Supporters argue that private management can improve efficiency, in-crease enrolment, reduce bureaucratic inertia and revive poorly performing schools. Given Pakistan’s persistent challenge of out-of-school children, any initiative that brings more children into classrooms deserves recognition. Yet educational reform cannot be measured simply by the number of schools transferred or students enrolled. Enrolment marks the beginning—not the destination—of education. The real test is whether children receive quality teaching, develop critical thinking and acquire the knowledge, values and competencies needed for productive citizenship. Access without quality risks creating only the illusion of progress.

This is where Punjab’s outsourcing initiative faces its greatest challenge. The debate should not centre on whether schools are managed by government officials or private operators. The more important question is whether the reform strengthens the single most influential school-based factor affecting student learning: the teacher. Research across the world consistently shows that no education system can outperform the quality of its teachers. While infrastructure, administration and technology all matter, sustain-able........

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