Pakistan

Security concerns: Punjab fails to clear air on schools reopening

Speculations of poor security conditions at educational institutions across the country have been rife

Our Correspondents/Ammar Sheikh January 31, 2016

PHOTO: ONLINE

RAWALPINDI/ PESHAWAR/ LAHORE/ KARACHI:

Some private schools across Punjab will stay closed on Monday (today), even though the provincial government announced on Sunday that “all schools, public [and] private, will open tomorrow”. Army-run and private schools in other provinces, meanwhile, will reopen today.

The Punjab administration assured the students via micro-blogging website Twitter that they would be “provided complete security. Mujahid Squad and other forces will patrol every school”. The government also advised the parents to SMS their complaints on 8330.

Confusion resulted when the provincial governments decided last week to close all schools. A similar announcement was made by the military’s media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), of closing all army-run schools in the country.

In the absence of a clear, specific reason of closing schools, speculations of poor security conditions at educational institutions across the country have been rife.

Punjab negotiations

All Pakistan Private Schools Federation (APPSF) representatives met Punjab Education Minister Rana Mashhood Ahmed, the Lahore district coordination officer, the education executive district officer and police officials on Sunday.

Following the meeting, the education minister told the media that negotiations with the APPSF had been successful and that all schools would reopen on Monday.

APPSF President Mirza Kashif said the schools’ body had spelled out two demands, asking the government to fulfil them before schools would be reopened. Firstly, they demanded the government withdraw all FIRs filed against school administrations over poor security arrangements. And secondly, they called on the government to assume the responsibility of providing security to schools.

The minister accepted both the demands, but APPSF representatives said that until the government issued a notification of accepting their demands, the schools would remain closed.

Mashhood told the media that the government would withdraw any FIRs registered against schools and provide security to them. “A committee has been formed to check and implement security measures at educational institutions across the province.”

He, however, warned the educational institutions that if they failed to bring their security arrangements on a par with the set standards, the provincial government would be forced to seal them.

The government later issued a notification accepting APPSF’s demands, but failed to placate the schools’ body.

The notification said that while no new FIRs would be registered against school administrations, the FIRs already registered would be withdrawn only when the schools fully comply with the government’s SOP.

“No new FIRs will be lodged unless gross violations are observed, and at least three notices will be served. The defaulting institutes will be heard by the security advisory committee.”

The government notification added that no school would be sealed unless there were ‘reasonable grounds’ to do so.

DIG (Operations) Dr Haider Ashraf told The Express Tribune that 13 schools had been sealed in Lahore for violating the SOP.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the APPSF said the final word on reopening schools would be disclosed later. “We cannot take any chances because it is a matter of safety of our students and teachers, and keeping this in mind we have decided against opening schools on Monday.”

In a late-night development, the APPSF president told The Express Tribune some private educational institutions under the schools’ body would reopen on Monday. “However, the remaining schools will reopen on Tuesday, a notification for which will be issued on Monday.”

Back to school

Students of military-run and private educational institutions in the rest of the country will return to school on Monday.

A senior official of the Army Public Schools and Colleges Secretariat in Rawalpindi confirmed their schools around the country would reopen on Monday. The ISPR confirmed that all prerequisite security arrangements were completed for these schools.

Parents in Karachi, however, expressed concerns over security measures at schools across the metropolitan city. All Private Schools Management Association Sindh Chairperson Khalid Shah said schools were closed for security checks. “In recent meetings with officials, we have been asked to follow the rules and regulations to improve security arrangements in terms of threats.”

Meanwhile, FIRs against administrations of more than 600 public and private schools in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa have been registered over poor security arrangements.

In Rawalpindi, talks between the All Pakistan Private Schools Management Association (APPSMA) and the provincial education minister proved fruitful.

APPSMA Rawalpindi President Abrar Ahmed Khan said they had agreed to reopen schools after the Punjab government agreed to withdraw FIRs against administrations of 618 schools across Punjab and K-P. An official in the district government told The Express Tribune that security agencies had made arrangements for the 496 schools in the district that were declared ‘sensitive’.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 1st, 2016.

COMMENTS (8)

feedback | 8 years ago | Reply As I mentioned earlier, the Fauji Security Services will bloom like anything. I wonder why people are so blind to what actually is going on in Pakistan.

Jamal | 8 years ago | Reply Unfortunately, the schools and government are ignoring the most important and critical stakeholders of this situation - the parents and the students. Why there is no parent representation in the security meetings conducted between government and schools? Parents are taken for granted by both the authorities and the schools - they implement their policies without taking our input. How fair is that? Schools are businesses and the parents are customers. In every business, customers have some rights. But in this industry, we have no rights and the complaints are answered by a simple statement: "If you are unsatisfied with this school, take your child elsewhere". What a shame.

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Dija | 8 years ago | Reply @A concerned parent: completely agree and at the same time I strongly propose to shut the schools for an indefinite period and bring together all the resources to fight the situation-taking risk at this time is just not advisable keeping in view the number of innocent lives involved.Both the Government and school management should not be in any haste to reopen the schools, and parents also need to cooperate and understand - it is indeed not a normal situation and strict precautions need to be in place!

brar | 8 years ago | Reply @A Concerned Parent: To be vigilant is must but these schools are a very lucrative business these days and the owners tries every trick to extract money from the parents, when they charge on account of security it is their duty to provide security or else refund the amount being charged in this regard.

A Concerned Parent | 8 years ago | Reply Private schools are demanding of the Government to provide security before they re-open their doors to students and coercing them to withdraw the FIRs against delinquent schools which are not following the security SOPs issued earlier. Private schools, which include: Roots, Beacon house, City and others regularly charge parents for the provision of security fee as part of their fee challans. And have employed private or school security guards. Although it may be difficult to vouch for their quality of service, training, abilities, equipment, etc. The learned owners of private schools know well that 'police or paramilitary' security cannot be provided to all institutions, be it private or public. Now when the Government has asked for extra vigilance and security in light of new threats, it is in our best interest to follow suit. Why are we 'throwing the ball in each others court?', rather than 'coming together and uniting in the face of this challenge?' and finding solutions jointly, rather than reminding each other who's responsibility it is to protect our children and our common future. Off-course it is our joint responsibility! The government and all educational institutions need to develop SOPs and train, inform and sensitize our public to help prevent any more incidents and play a more pro-active role in maintaining security, vigilance and cooperating with our security agencies. APS and BKU, no more! This is no time for antagonism, rather for everyone to shoulder their responsibility and stand side by side with our civil and military armed forces to fight out with sincerity all ills and evils from our Country. Jeevay, Jeevay, Pakistan!

Shirin Agha | 8 years ago | Reply Govt. Should take responsibility to give fool proof security to schools colleges universities of the city.

Shahid Akram | 8 years ago | Reply very sad.

Jamal | 8 years ago | Reply Private Schools in Punjab are pressurized by the government to be responsible for their own security. Is this fair? Government can depute dozens of policemen on security of one VIP but can't allocate a couple for school with hundreds of students? Parents should be more vigilant. Stand up and ask who is really responsible for security at the schools? Is it the responsibility of the state, school owners, parents or the kids themselves are responsible for their own security? And, it is not just the students. Teachers and other staff working at educational institutions are also at risk. If nothing else, the employers should provide them with a significant life insurance policy. Teaching is such a dangerous profession now in this country. What a sad state of affairs. But again, no surprises here because education is not a priority - building Metro train is.

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