Confusion over reopening of private schools in Punjab persists

(THENEWS-PAKISTAN)WhilethePunjabgovernmentclaimsthatallpublicandprivateschoolsoftheprovincewillreopenonMonday(today),manyleadingprivateschoolswillnotopenbecauseofwhattheyterm‘harassment’bythegovernmentinthenameofsecurity.

TalkingtoTheNewshereonSunday,PunjabEducationMinisterRanaMashhoodAhmedKhansaiditwasdecidedinameetingwithrepresentativesoftheprivateschoolsthatallschoolswouldreopenonMondayasthegovernmentassuredthemofcooperationvis-a-vismeasuresforsecurityofcampuses.

TheministersaidpolicehadbeenbarredfromsealingprivateschoolsindependentlyandregisteringFIRsagainstthemanagementofprivateschoolsfornotfollowingthestandardoperatingprocedures(SOPs)forsecurityofschools.However,hesaidthedistrictcommittees,havingrepresentationofprivatesectorschools,woulddecideifanyparticularschoolshouldbesealedonaccountofpoorsecurityarrangements.

Variousleadingprivateschools,includingtheBeaconhouseschoolsystemthatassociatesitselfwithAll-PakistanPrivateSchoolsFederation,claimtherewasnobreakthrough,henceschoolsincludingtheLahoreGrammarSchool,BeaconhouseGroup(includingBNandTNS-B),CitySchoolNetwork,LACAS,SalamatSchoolSystemandKidsKampus,LearningAllianceandLahorePreschool,ResourceAcademia,LGSLandmarkSchools,AlliedSchools,SmartSchoolsandTheEducatorsetc,wouldremainclosedonMonday(today).

SchoolsacrossPunjabwereclosedontheordersofthePunjabgovernmentonJan-25nightonthepretextofsevereweatherconditions.However,alargemajorityofpeoplebelievedschoolswereclosedtobeefupsecurityarrangements.Theleadingprivateschoolsclaimtheyhadtakenmaximumsecuritymeasuresbutstillthegovernmentofficialswereharassingthem,sealingtheircampusesandregisteringFIRs.Theysaysecurityprovisionwasaresponsibilityofthegovernment,butthegovernmentwasshiftingitovertoprivateschoolsalone.

Theprevailingconfusionanduncertaintyiscausingmentaltortureamongstudentsandtheirparents.

Meanwhile,theclass-5examination,beingconductedbythePunjabExaminationCommission(PEC),wouldstartonMonday(today).DifferentteachersassociationshadannouncedboycottofthePECexamsinprotestagainsthandingoverofsome5,000primaryschoolstoprivatesectorandotherissues,beingfacedbyteachers.

Manyofthemlatercalledofftheirboycottfollowingassurancesfromthesecretaryschools.However,afactionofthePunjabTeachersUnion(AllahBakhshQaiserGroup)isstillinsistingonboycottingtheexams.Therefore,adisturbanceislikelyintheconductoftheexamindifferentpartsofPunjab,especiallyinJhangdistrict,wherethegroupisstrong.ThePunjabgovernmenthasalsoimposedSection144inandaroundtheexaminationcentresforsmoothconductoftheexam.

Also,accordingtoahandout,aftersuccessfulnegotiationswiththePunjabEducationMinisterRanaMashhoodAhmedKhan,AllPakistanPrivateSchoolsFederationhasannouncedreopeningofprivateschoolsonMonday(today)throughouttheprovince.

Representativesofprivateschools,ledbyKashifMirza,helddetailednegotiationswithRanaMashhood,DCOLahoreCapt(retd)UsmanYounis,CCPOLahoreCapt(retd)AminWainsandofficersofEducationDepartmentregardingtheirreservationsoverthestepsbeingtakenforsecurityofschools.

Theministerassuredthatschoolssealedonunsatisfactorysecurityarrangementswerebeingopenedimmediately.Hesaidthecasesregisteredagainstsomeschoolshadalsobeenfrozenandthesewouldbeendedoncompletionofsecurityarrangements.Hesaidnoactioncouldbetakenagainstanyschoolonindividualreportofanyofficial.Hesaidpoliceofficialswouldnotbeallowedtoharassthestaffinthenameofsecurityorgoingtoschools.Hesaidthemanagementofprivateschoolsshouldnotallowanyonetoentertheinstitutionwithoutanyidentification.Hesaidnoactionwouldbetakenagainstanyschoolwithouttherecommendationofsecuritycommitteeconcerned.NocompromisewouldbemadeonsecuritySOPs,headded.

Talkingtothemedia,RanaMashhoodsaidnocasewouldberegisteredagainstanyschoolinfuture;however,ownersofprivateschoolswouldhavetodischargetheirresponsibilitiesregardingsecurityofchildren.Hesaidtheentirenationwasinthestateofwaragainstterrorism,butclosureofschoolswouldpromoteagendaofterrorists.