Islamabad Education Authority Planned for Schools
The Islamabad education authority took a step closer to reality on Friday, as the federal government moved to set up an autonomous body to run school and college education in the capital. Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal chaired a meeting of the Joint Committee on ICT Education Reforms, where officials agreed that the new authority would take charge of the capital’s public and private schools.
The prime minister has already endorsed the idea and directed officials to prepare an accelerated reform plan for the capital’s education system.
The proposed body will have a Board of Governors with an independent majority, and its chief executive will be picked through a merit-based process. Its functions, powers and terms of reference will be clearly defined. Officials must prepare the required legislation and a transition roadmap within 60 days, while the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) keeps running schools without a break during the changeover.
What the Islamabad education authority will do
The new authority will enjoy greater administrative and operational autonomy than the present setup, with a clear mandate covering all education providers across Islamabad. That includes public schools and colleges as well as private schools, low-fee private schools, and informal and special education institutions.
The FDE network currently runs 432 educational institutions, while a much larger number of private schools operate in the capital. Around 77 per cent of the FDE’s spending ceiling goes on staff costs, yet public-sector schools are not delivering results that match the money spent. Mr Iqbal said effective monitoring must be tied directly to corrective action and accountability, so that poor performance leads to a response rather than a report that sits on a shelf.
1,100 teachers and a new hiring model
Teacher recruitment sits at the centre of the plan. The meeting discussed the planned hiring of 1,100 teachers through the Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC), and Mr Iqbal called for a review of the recruitment process. He asked officials to explore a contractual hiring model that could attract highly qualified young professionals into teaching.
Punjab’s earlier move to recruit educated teachers on five-year contracts was held up as a model worth studying. The minister also directed officials to examine the legal aspects of the appointments and to make sure the terms provide for local hiring and school-based placements. That would keep teachers in the communities they serve and prevent unnecessary transfers.
On teaching quality, he pointed to China’s emphasis on strong teacher-student engagement, and said reforms must put equity and student welfare first.
Buildings, girls’ education and rural schools first
Safe and functional school buildings come first. Officials must draw up a costed plan to bring every institution up to model standards, with priority for rural schools and the specific needs of girls’ education.
MNA Raja Khurram Nawaz, who attended the meeting, highlighted the shortage of facilities in government schools, and the need for additional blocks for girls in particular. He also pressed for a uniform curriculum across public and private schools, to reduce the gap in learning and the growing social divide between children in the two systems.
Why the reform matters for Islamabad families
For parents, the plan matters because the present system is split: the FDE runs 432 institutions, but thousands of children study in private, low-fee private and informal schools outside any single regulator. One authority would give parents one body answerable for standards.
A uniform curriculum would address a concern many families raise: children in public and private schools follow different courses, which widens the gap between them over time. Feature Pakistan earlier reported on the new national curriculum for schools, and on Punjab’s school monitoring app covering more than 60,000 schools, both of which point in the same direction: clearer standards, measured openly.
The same pressure is visible in the twin cities, where private schools in Rawalpindi faced a registration deadline last month. Islamabad’s proposed authority would take that kind of oversight further, by bringing registration, standards and accountability under one roof.
Education governance is in flux elsewhere too: the vice chancellors of six Punjab universities have urged the repeal of a law restoring their old names, warning it could harm degree verification abroad.
What happens next
Three working groups already cover infrastructure, governance and academics, and the reform plan spans standards, financing, teachers, curriculum, assessment and access. The push to widen access is visible in the provinces too, from scholarships for transgender students in Sindh to lighter primary books in Punjab.
Frequently asked questions
What is the proposed Islamabad education authority?
It is a planned autonomous body that would regulate school and college education across the Islamabad Capital Territory, covering public and private providers under one regulator with its own Board of Governors.
How many schools does the FDE run?
The Federal Directorate of Education runs 432 educational institutions in Islamabad, alongside a much larger number of private, low-fee private, informal and special education institutions.
When will the new authority start work?
Officials have 60 days to prepare the required legislation and a transition roadmap. The FDE will keep running schools without interruption until the new body takes over.
Will private schools in Islamabad come under the authority?
Yes. The planning minister said the proposed authority should have a clear mandate covering all education providers across Islamabad, including private and low-fee private schools.
