Paralysed with fear: Low attendance in educational institutions across K-P

Parents feel govt incapable of securing schools, colleges

PESHAWAR: In the aftermath of the deadly attack in Charsadda, parents and students remain gripped in fear. Even though most educational institutions in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa remained open, very few school or college students showed up.

Talking to The Express Tribune on Thursday, All Primary Teachers Association K-P President Malik Khalid Khan said attendance in educational institutions remained very low and parents and children were reluctant to go near schools and colleges.

The unwillingness stems from none other than the perception of inadequate security – a cold fear driven home first on December 16, 2014 and then on January 20, 2016. Malik Khalid said terrorism would continue to have a detrimental effect on education in the province unless the government realised its responsibility and began securing these institutes.

The president said all teachers in primary schools across K-P were present but attendance was very low. He encouraged parents to send their children to school since absenteeism was not the way to fight terrorism.



Talking to The Express Tribune, Shaheed Benazir Women University Vice Chancellor Razia Sultana said closure of educational institutes was not the solution to end terrorism. “Even though I understand how worried students, parents and faculty members are after the attack on Bacha Khan University Charsadda, we should not be discouraged and should continue our routine activities,” she said. Sultana added security at their university was enhanced by increasing the number of security guards.

Pointing fingers

Irshad Ali, a parent, said educational institutes were no longer safe. “The government and authorities were not serious about providing protection despite a second attack on an educational institute in K-P,” he said.

Ali said while the K-P government claims it spent billions of rupees on the security of educational institutions, he had seen no development. “Who can be held responsible for the slaughter of innocent children when the government and security agencies are nothing doing about it?”



However, the district administration of Peshawar directed educational institutes to appoint security guards at every school entrance on Thursday. It also directed police to visit schools and remove all possible encroachment around the buildings.

Reopening amid tight security

Swat University and University of Engineering and Technology Peshawar, previously closed till further notice, will reopen on January 22 (today).

According to the notification, Engineering and Technology Jalozai will reopen on January 26.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 22^nd,  2016.