Out on streets: Teachers protest ‘privatisation’

PTU claims govt has decided to privatise more than 5,500 schools

FAISALABAD: The Punjab Teachers’ Union (PTU) on Tuesday staged a protest demonstration against what it called the privatisation of educational institutions.

The protesters carrying banners and placards gathered at Zila Council Chowk. They later marched on various city roads. The rally ended at Clock Tower Chowk, where they also staged a protest sit-in.

Addressing the protesters, PTU central president Allah Bux Qaisar said that the government had decided to privatise more than 5,500 educational institutions across the province. “This decision will prove a major blow to students from lower and middle classes,” he said.

Qaisar said that the PTU would not allow privatisation of educational institutions. “The PTU will take every possible step to save our schools from falling into the hands of the private sector,” he said.

He said the government should immediately withdraw the decision. “Otherwise, the teachers’ community will launch a province-wide protest movement,” Qaisar said.

He said that the government should promote grade-14 teachers to grade-16 and grade-16 teachers to grade-17. “If the government does not accept PTU’s demands, we will stage a sit-in in front of the Chief Minister’s House in Lahore,” he said.

PTU Punjab vice president Azhar Behzad, district president Rana Naseer Ahmad, senior district vice president Muhammad Hussain and other union leaders were also present on the occasion.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 11^th, 2016.