Around 1,500 private schools lack security

Private schools threaten government with closure if any school sealed

RAWALPINDI: Punjab government has decided to issue notices to 1500 private schools in the province after their security was found to be unsatisfactory.

The schools who still fail to implement security guidelines will be sealed, sources told Daily Express. Private schools, on the other hand, have threatened to close down around 900,000 schools in the province if the government did not stop what it called harassment of private schools.



Rawalpindi chapter President of the All Pakistan Private Schools Management Association Abrar Ahmed Khan has said it was the government’s job to provide security to schools.

He said the police were threatening school owners. He said they would resist the government’s action against private schools.

Meanwhile, the Punjab government is funding it difficult to recruit security guards for over 30,000 schools listed in categories A and A Plus with regards to their security needs. Sources say almost half of the required staff have applied so far.



 

The government had sought applications from retired soldiers but has not received enough applications due to very low pay. The guards are being recruited in basic pay scale one, with monthly salary between Rs8,000 to Rs15,000.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 6^th, 2016.