Evaluating Educational Equity in Privatized-Public and Low-Performing Public Schools under the Public-Private Partnership Program: A Mixed-Methods Study in District Gujranwala

Education equity is critical for sustainable development and recognized as a basic right across the globe. For this purpose, to overcome educational inequality in Pakistan, the Government of Punjab has initiated the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) program where private entities collaborate. This study investigates the effectiveness of the PPP program to promote equity in education by comparing privatized-public schools with low-performing public schools under the Public School Support Program (PSSP) in District Gujranwala. The research, through a quantitative approach, focuses on the education equity based on the access of education quality, physical facilities, and inclusiveness from the school councils and parents. Using a purposive sampling, 19 privatized-public schools and 19 low-performing public schools were sampled from a pool of 78 privatized-public schools and 34 low-performing public schools in the country. Data were collected using validated tools, including the Scale for Evaluation of School Performance (SESP) and a facility observation checklist. Using descriptive and inferential statistics, data were analyzed with the help of SPSS and results showed there was a significant difference between educational equity in public and private schools. Privatized-public schools had better equity outcomes, like gender parity and inclusiveness. Examining the full text of the study, the researchers draw important conclusions for policy making particularly with respect to the necessity for targeted allocation of resources and engagement of stakeholders to promote equity within education. The study presents a framework for assessing PPP initiatives and emphasizes the need for equitable education, especially in conditions of economic disparity. In this sense, it joins the larger discourse on sustainable reforms for education in developing countries.