Fake admissions or ghost entries in schools.

It is common practice in our schools to enter fake registration of students to increase enrolment.In Punjab, "ghost admissions" refer to students who are falsely registered in schools without actually attending. This issue has surfaced in both public and semi-public education systems, such as those under the Punjab Education Foundation (PEF). In recent investigations, thousands of ghost students were discovered in various institutions, raising concerns about mismanagement and corruption. For instance, an inquiry into the PEF revealed that 287,000 fake students were listed in school records, leading to financial losses of approximately Rs1.1 billion annually. Such fraudulent practices are often linked to the manipulation of school enrollment figures to claim additional government funds.

Efforts have been made to counter this issue. The Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) introduced real-time monitoring systems to verify student attendance and learning outcomes, significantly reducing the occurrence of ghost admissions. By using technology such as tablet-based student assessments, the Punjab government has worked to ensure more transparency in its educational institutions

to get more NSB

In Punjab, fake entries of students are sometimes made to increase school enrollment numbers, which allows schools to claim higher funds under programs like the Non-Salary Budget (NSB). The NSB provides financial support to schools based on the number of enrolled students. By inflating these numbers through "ghost admissions," schools can receive more funds for operational costs such as utilities, furniture, and repairs.

This practice has been identified in various government investigations. For example, a significant number of ghost students were found in schools under the Punjab Education Foundation (PEF), leading to misuse of allocated funds. Schools, sometimes in collusion with officials, falsely report students to secure additional financial support without the students ever attending.

chalenges to SED

Corruption in the School Education Department (SED) in Punjab, Pakistan, has been an ongoing issue, particularly involving fraudulent practices like ghost admissions, misuse of funds, and fake reporting of school improvements. These acts undermine efforts to improve education quality and waste government resources.

Ghost Admissions & Fake Schools:

One of the most widespread forms of corruption involves the creation of "ghost" students and even "ghost" schools. Officials, in collaboration with school administrators, have been found inflating the number of enrolled students to claim additional funds from the government. These fraudulent claims impact programs like the Non-Salary Budget (NSB) and the Punjab Education Foundation (PEF), where financial allocations depend on reported student numbers.

NSB Mismanagement:

The Non-Salary Budget, designed to cover non-teaching costs (e.g., repairs, equipment, and utilities), is another area affected by corruption. Funds meant for real school improvements are siphoned off through inflated student numbers and falsified expenditure reports.

Lack of Accountability:

Despite audits and inquiries revealing these irregularities, action against the responsible officials has often been delayed or inadequate. For example, investigations into thousands of ghost schools and unauthorized transfers of funds have faced bureaucratic hurdles, and many of the involved individuals have avoided punishment.

Strict actions of present Minister

Now Government of Punjab strictly follow the policy to eradicate fake entries from all the schools of Punjab.Efforts to counter this have included technology-driven monitoring systems, such as those implemented by the Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB). These systems verify student attendance through real-time data collection, reducing the potential for false reporting

The Punjab government has attempted to combat this corruption through initiatives like real-time monitoring by the Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB), which tracks student attendance and school conditions using technology. However, systemic issues and lack of accountability continue to hamper significant progress in cleaning up the department.