3 schools sealed over poor security

FAISALABAD:

Three schools were sealed and 75 others were issued notices over poor security arrangements on Friday.

DCO Noorul Amin Mengal told The Express Tribune that Faisalabad had 13,131 schools, of which 417 had been declared sensitive.

He said district administration teams had inspected the schools to ensure adequate security cover for educational institutions under the SOPs issued by the Punjab government.

“There will be no compromise on security. School administrations have been told that there will be random checks on the arrangements they have made. They should remain vigilant.”

Meanwhile, the Private Schools’ Association criticised closure of schools.

“This campaign for security is only to victimise schools owners in the private sector,” said Akhtar Ali, a spokesman of the association. “It is the responsibility of the government to ensure safety and security. The responsibility of school administrations is to provide quality education,” he said.

Ali said the government had failed to break terrorist networks in the country.

“The attack on Bacha Khan University in Charsadda shows that the government has made no progress on the goals set under the National Action Plan,” he said.

He said the government should provide funds to the schools in the private sector for making the recommended security arrangements.

“The government should deploy security guards, install barbered wire and raise the boundary walls,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 30^th,  2016.