Teachers' perceptions on implementing public-private partnership policy : a case study of the Punjab Schools Reorganization Program (PSRP) in government schools of Punjab, Pakistan

Abstract

The study explores the teachers’ perceptions of the Punjab Schools Reorganization Program (PSRP), a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) initiative aimed at improving educational quality by outsourcing underperforming public schools in Punjab, Pakistan, to private management. This reform has significantly affected public school teachers’ views, job security, and professional autonomy. This study employed a qualitative case study approach within an interpretive paradigm to investigate teachers’ lived experiences, concerns, and coping strategies. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with six public school teachers, a broader survey of affected educators, and document analysis of the PSRP’s Terms of Reference (TORs). Thematic analysis using Quirkos software was conducted to code data and ensure alignment with research objectives through peer validation. Findings reveal widespread job insecurity, increased psychological stress, and diminished professional morale, largely due to abrupt transfers, role ambiguity, and exclusion from policy processes. Teachers reported intensified workloads, insufficient professional development, and perceived declines in job satisfaction and educational quality—particularly due to disparities between urban and rural schools. Although the program aims to optimize resources and improve outcomes, teachers criticized it for prioritizing compliance over meaningful pedagogical reform. To cope, teachers adopted strategies such as emotional withdrawal, informal peer support, and subtle policy adjustments. This research study contributes analytically by employing teachers’ voices, methodologically through qualitative narratives, and theoretically by engaging with decentralization, job satisfaction, teacher agency, and street-level bureaucracy. This study recommends that policymakers meaningfully involve teachers in decision-making, improve transparency, and ensure job security to support effective policy implementation and foster genuine educational improvement