The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has directed the Private Educational Institutions Regulatory Authority (Peira) to submit a detailed report on whether elite private schools are complying with their legal duty to provide free education to underprivileged children.
The order was issued during a hearing of a petition highlighting the lack of implementation of the Right to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2012. Justice Raja Inaam Ameen Minhas instructed Peira to file a comprehensive report by October 8 under Section 10 of the Act. The court also told the regulator to obtain reports from all private schools in the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) and submit them at the next hearing.
The petitioner’s counsel argued that although the law was passed in 2012 and enforced in 2015, compliance has remained minimal. Under the Act, all private schools in ICT are required to allocate at least 10 percent of seats in each class for underprivileged children and provide them free education, but the provision has not been implemented.
He further stated that Peira, as the regulator, had failed to ensure compliance with the law. “It is the responsibility of the authority to make certain that every private institution fulfills its legal obligation,” the counsel argued.
The court observed that the matter relates to a fundamental right of access to education for poor children. Justice Minhas noted that the issue has persisted for years despite clear provisions of the law and emphasised that it is Peira’s duty to enforce compliance.
The order stressed that Peira must provide verifiable data on the admission of disadvantaged children since the Act came into force. The court also asked the authority to explain what measures it has taken to enforce the 10 percent quota and whether any monitoring or penalties have been applied against non-compliant schools.
Education activists have long criticised the lack of enforcement of the 2012 Act, which makes education compulsory for children aged five to sixteen. Section 10 specifically places a binding obligation on private schools to accommodate underprivileged students free of cost in exchange for state recognition and benefits.
Despite repeated government assurances, many children in Islamabad remain deprived of access to private schools due to financial barriers. The case has now been adjourned, with Peira expected to file its report by October 8.