BKU carnage has left parents with fears

LAHORE:

A number of parents in the provincial metropolis continue to express reservations about security arrangements at schools despite assurances received from the district administration.

Talking to The Express Tribune on Thursday, Faisal Sheikh, a representative of the Parents’ Collective, said the standard operating procedures (SOPs) were not being followed strictly. He said that some parents were bringing their own guards to schools.

Faisal said at a meeting with Education Minister Rana Mashhood, some of the parents who said they had licensed weapons volunteered to guard schools. He said, “Barbed wires have been placed, walls have been raised and guards are stationed at schools. However, carts and vendors can still be close to the schools. Some parents said they had called the number given for feedback on school security but no action was taken to allay their concerns.”

Ayesha, a private schoolteacher, said teachers had been asked by school managements to check classrooms before children came in.

She said, “Teachers are not trained to perform security sweeps nor are we equipped to handle security situations,” she said.

“One of the teachers now comes in early and checks every classroom. We are told that we have to look for bombs and make sure there is no one hiding in a classroom. This is absurd,” she said.

Education Executive District Officer (EDO) Pervaiz Akhtar told The Tribune that all schools had re-opened amid strict security.

“Security is being monitored constantly,” he said. Commenting on concerns raised by some parents, “It is understandable that the attack on the Bacha Khan University (BKU) should cause fears. Parents need more time to get over their fears. I want to assure them that necessary security steps have been taken.”

Akhtar said the TMO and police had been removing carts and vendors from near school premises.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 5^th, 2016.