Primary school students protest in Bajaur

District education officer approves posting of two teachers

BAJAUR:

Over 350 young students staged a protest against the absence of teachers from their Government Primary School in Tehsil Khar’s Kausar area on Tuesday.

The students clad in their black shalwar kameez uniform brought chairs and tables from their classes outside and blocked it for all kinds of transport as they chanted slogans against the education department and provincial education minister.

The students told The Express Tribune that previously the school was run by two teachers who taught classes from kindergarten to fifth grade but they were transferred to other areas.

“The parent teachers council has submitted resumes of scores of applicants for the vacant positions but the district education officer turned a deaf ear towards them,” said a parent Quraish Khan. “We went and showed solidarity with our kids and the rest of the students after being informed about their protest.”

He added that all the kids are very serious towards their education and the provincial government should facilitate them at any cost.

An elder of the area, Jamil Khan, said the influence of Taliban in the area was equal to zero now and this school was the only facility for kids belonging to more than seven villages.

“Even though the school has a building with many facilities unfortunately the DEO had only provided two teachers for over 350 students,” he said, adding that sometimes senior students would be teaching kids when the teachers were absent.

Upon being contacted, the DEO Sherinzada said he has posted two teachers to the school and they will take charge tomorrow.

A person, on the condition of anonymity, relayed that the current DEO was grade 18 officer but he was discharging duties of a grade 19 officer, hence creating this mess.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 10^th, 2021.