Women to be confined to teaching primary

JI leader says ‘mixed culture’ can lead to cases of rape and murder


Rana Yasif February 09, 2018
PHOTO: FILE

LAHORE: PML-N MPA Joyce Rofin Julius, who is the parliamentary secretary for school education, confirmed that the Punjab government revised its policy by deciding that women teachers will only teach at primary boys’ schools. Responding to a query in the house, she added no women would teach at boys’ high schools after 2018.

She was responding to Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) MPA Dr Waseem Akhtar, who, during the question hour session, raised a strong objection over attempts to develop a mixed culture of men and women in society. He said such integration led to cases of rape and murder.

Julius was responding to Akhtar’s supplementary question which asked why there was a deviation from the old policy. She stated that the new recruitment policy was introduced in 2011 and the Government Central Model School is an old one.  She said there was a girls junior wing consisting of 35 women and there were 67 men were in the senior boys wing in 1944. Later, this wing came under the board of governors in 2009. The secretary continued that the board later approved that appointment of women and five of them were hired. However, the policy was revised again in 2017-18 and it was decided that no women teachers would work at boys’ schools.

Akhtar said the department’s reply clearly stated the before the creation of Pakistan, there were women teachers in boys junior schools. However, after the approval of the board of governors, women were appointed to senior wings, but now the secretary is claiming the policy had been reviewed. He sought a detailed answer over the matter.

Julius said there were five women teachers teaching boys of Class-VI. She stated it was the government’s policy which dictated that women taught in the primary section as motherly figures to minor boys. The secretary stated that the government adopted a policy that women will not teach higher classes after 2017-18.

One of the treasury legislators, speaking on a point of order, accepted the challenge of his own party’s provincial law minster Rana Sana Ullah. The minister had asked the Jamaat-e-Islami MPA to produce even a single can purchase receipt (CPR) for sugarcane issued by a mill at less than the government’s rate of Rs180.



The law minister was also responding Akhtar’s claim that CPRs were issued of Rs60 per maund and the government had done nothing to stop the exploitation of farmers.   Waseem left the house for a few seconds as a token boycott over the authorities’ failure.

Sanaullah said farmer’s associations would have boycotted meetings if sugarcane was sold of Rs60. He said there was no doubt the farmers were paid less than Rs180 by the sugar mills on plea that they (farmers) would have to wait for 15 days to get payment through CPRs. However, the sugar mills pay them between Rs.140 to 150 as cash payment when the cane is sold. The law minister said that orders were issued to sugar mills to purchase between Rs160 and Rs165 if they wanted to make cash payments. PML-N MPA Mian Islam Aslam intervened and claimed he had a CPR issued by Hamza Sugar Mill in Khanpur of Rs150.

Responding, Sanaullah denied the claim, adding no receipt had been issued for less than Rs180 since the government started taking action. He said the farmers should sell sugarcane with patience and trust in the government.

Minority MPA Shunila Ruth demanded the government punish those involved in the Kot Radha Kishan incident where a couple was thrown into a brick Kiln. She said the government should also take appropriate arrangements to provide medical treatment to those accused who are in jail for the Youhanabad lynching case. She said the prisoners are dying in jail due to the lack of treatment.

Minister for Human Rights and Minority Affairs Khalil Tahir Sandhu said the case was subjudice, adding the medical treatment was being provided to prisoners. 

Published in The Express Tribune, February 9th, 2018.

COMMENTS (1)

Bunny Rabbit | 6 years ago | Reply And whats wrong with that . teaching boys primary school too needs intelligence / dedication .
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