APPSCA stays put, pins hope on courts

Says closure of educational institutions will take toll on thousands of children, employees

RAWALPINDI:

The All-Pakistan Private Schools and Colleges Association (APPSCA) has asked Cantonment boards across Pakistan including in the Rawalpindi district not to evacuate buildings and establishments until courts adjudicated their appeals.

The APPSCA said that private educational institutions have received notices about the closure of around 8,500 schools in jurisdictions of 42 Cantonment boards across the country by December 31, which will increase unemployment and people will start committing suicide.

It said that the Supreme Court will be hearing a review petition on the important issue on December 22 and the Islamabad High Court on December 21 December. “We are sure that we will get relief from courts,” said APPSCA President Raja Ilyas Kayani, Divisional President Irfan Muzaffar Kayani and others.

They said that the closure of these educational institutions will put the academic career of 4 million students in jeopardy. “We will never use these affected students and their parents as a shield for our interests,” they said.

They said that the closure of the institutions will not affect the owners, but students and their parents will suffer, and as many as 0.3 million teachers and 0.1 million non-teaching staff will be rendered jobless.

Read More: Educational institutions to reopen in phases from Jan 18

They announced that they will hold daily protest rallies and demonstrations from December 21.

“Thousands of teachers and non-teaching staff are worried that the closure of their institutions will snatch their livelihood. This will increase crime and may lead to suicide,” they said adding that teachers have been forced to put down the pen and pick up placards.

“Don’t make such policies that spread disappointment among people,” they said. “On this serious issue, the government is playing the flute like Nero. No one is ready to help us.”

They said that educational institutions had been established in Cantonment boards after paying heavy fees and getting NOCs. “We pay all taxes. If opening these schools was illegal, then why NOCs were issued.” They appealed to the president, the army chief, the chief justice and the prime minister to help them.

Evacuation banners put up

Meanwhile, the Rawalpindi and Chaklala Cantonment boards have put on banners on prominent places asking private schools and colleges to relocate from residential areas by December 31.

There are more than 900 educational institutions in the residential areas of Rawalpindi and Chaklala Cantonments boards. Most of these educational institutions have been functioning in rented buildings for years.

These educational institutions had been established after obtaining regular NOCs from the cantonment boards.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, December 15^th, 2021.