Rawalpindi division: Educational institutes asked to ensure foolproof security

Schools, colleges warned of action if failed to implement SOPs in three days

RAWALPINDI: The district administration has asked all public and private educational institutes across Rawalpindi division to ensure foolproof security within three days or face action from the authorities.

The directives were issued at a meeting chaired by Rawalpindi Commissioner Sajid Zafar Dal and attended by police high-ups, education authorities and administration officials. It was decided that teams will inspect schools, colleges and universities in Rawalpindi, Attock, Chakwal and Jhelum after January 28 and those with poor security arrangements will be sealed and case will be registered against the educational institutes administrations.

During the meeting, All Pakistan Private School Management Association President Abrar Ahmed Khan demanded that private education institutes should be provided licences to buy weapons for security purpose. He also demanded that additional contingent of police should also be deployed at sensitive locations to avert any untoward situation.

Admin, head teachers huddle today

The education department has convened a meeting of school head teachers on Tuesday (today) to discuss security arrangements for educational institutions across the Rawalpindi district.

A source in the education department said that a new SOP regarding security of schools and colleges has been prepared, which will be presented to the head teachers to get their nod and suggestions before it was fully implemented.

The source said that security of many education institutes was not satisfactory and the latest attack on the Bacha Khan University has made it all the more necessary to reassess the security arrangements that had been put in place after the Peshawar Army Public School Attack.

The source said that during the meeting the heads of schools will be asked to ensure security at their respective institutes by constructing boundary wall, placing walkthrough gates and installing security cameras.

Meanwhile, an official in the Rawalpindi education department said that special teams will conduct raids at different schools to ensure that teachers turn up on time and perform tasks during duty hours. The official said that those who remain absent from duty will face the music as, according to him, the chief minister has issued clear-cut directives to purge education institutes of lazy and indolent teachers.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 26^th,  2016.