Educators warn of long march

Representatives of the private education sector have warned of holding widespread protests and a countrywide long march on March 31 if the government does not withdraw the policy of prolonged closures of educational institutions on what they described as the pretext of the novel coronavirus outbreak.

The Cambridge system schools have announced going ahead with their academic plans for O and A levels but the educational institutions under the provincial and federal boards face uncertainty with regards to the academic year, exam schedule and syllabus, they said.

The All Pakistan Private Schools and Colleges Association (APPSCA) announced on Friday that closing educational institutions to prevent the spread of Covid-19 would affect the academic year, and children should be allowed to continue studies under preventive measures.

The APPSCA leaders warned of holding a countrywide long march and conducting classes in the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training on March 31, as a protest against the prolonged closure of the educational institutions.

The association held a protest demonstration outside the National Press Club (NPC) where its leaders presented a charter of demand and then marched from the press club to D Chowk near the parliament building.

During the march, owners of schools and colleges shouted slogans against the suspension of educational activities and demanded immediate reopening of the educational institutions. The protestors blamed Minister for Federal Education and Professional Training Shafqat Mahmood and said he should resign.

APPSCA Central President Malik Abrar Hussain, while addressing the demonstration said that the country has been turned into an experiment centre for education. The government is forming education policies through a ‘trial and error process, he said.

Referring to the wise men of Gotham, he took a jibe at the government saying that the skewed policies framed by the ‘wise men of Islamabad’ have distanced the new generation from education. “The education institutions are the only spaces where coronavirus-related SOPs are strictly implemented.

None of the educational institutions has reported any serious Covid-19 outbreak.

The markets are open, yet the education institutions are closed. This is a conspiracy against educational progress,” Hussain said adding that the government should be aware of the follies it is making by prolonged closures of schools and colleges.

The APPSCA president said that even the Cambridge University has announced the conduct of A and O levels examinations as per schedule from May 15, “yet our schools are closed.” He said that the matric and intermediate examinations are around the corner. The educational loss incurred due to promotion without examination policy is unlikely to be covered.

Hussain said that students and their parents will also join the APPSCA long march if the government does not change its course regarding the closure of schools and colleges, delaying exams, and cutting down syllabus.

He reminded that the government forgot its promises of interest-free loans to the teachers and small school owners and relief to the private educational institution during the last lockdown.

The APPSCA in its charter of demand sought financial assistance for educational institutions which had remained closed during the pandemic and relief for teachers who were rendered jobless.

The charter of demand presented on the occasion demanded a grant of permission for the reopening of all the educational institutions with 50% attendance from April 11 and the permission to call students under the Covid-19 SOPs from April 12, and the closure of educational institutions be considered as the last option.

The association demanded interest-free loans for schools and assistance for teachers and staff in the shape of affiliation with Employees Old-Age Benefits Institution (EOBI) the provincial social security departments.

The charter of demand sought to charge utility bills under domestic tariffs. APPSCA Secretary-General Muhammad Ashraf Hiraj, Punjab President Raja Ilyas Kiyani, Irfan Muzaffar Kiyani, President Colleges Wing Javed Iqbal Raja, Malik Hafeezur Rehman, Sardar Gul Zubair Khan, Malik Deen Muhammad Awan, Rana Sohail Ahmed, Fawad, Zulfiqar Ali Siddiqui, Abdul Raheem, Anees Iqbal, Imran Durrani, Qasim Abbas and several others attended and addressed the protest demonstration.

Scores of private school owners, teachers, and students from the twin cities were also present on the occasion.