Teachers’ strike brings educational activities to a standstill

Teachers and clerical staff on strike against appointment of education officer

RAWALPINDI:

Educational activities in government schools in the Rawalpindi district have come to a standstill after the teaching and non-teaching staff have gone on a strike against the appointment of District Education Authority's Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Kashif Azam.

The ongoing eight days strike and boycott of classes by teaching and non-teaching staff have taken a toll on the education of the students.

Last week, some teachers and the clerical staff allegedly manhandled Kashif Azam soon after he reached the office to assume charge after he was re-appointed to the post for the third time.

They also tortured Kashif Azam and tore his clothes, dragging him on the road for several minutes.

Later, Waris Khan police arrested 20 teachers and clerical staff while all other teachers and clerks escaped from the scene.

New admissions in the government educational institutions and preparations for Independence Day celebrations have also been badly affected due to the strike.

Principals of all major government schools in the garrison city have sent protest letters to Deputy Commissioner (DC) Rawalpindi Tahir Farooq to immediately intervene to resolve the burning issue.

Sources said that headmasters and headmistresses have taken a stance in protest letters that the education system has been ruined across the district due to the ongoing locking of horns by the education officers and teaching staff.

They said that neither side was willing to show any sort of flexibility to sort out the issue, due to which the education system in the district has been leading towards a disaster. “The students are forced to go home without getting classes. The teaching and the clerical staff do not bother to come to school except for a few teachers, who do come to school but remain idle all day long due to the ongoing strike,” the principals said.

They further said that new admissions in government schools have come to a standstill and the Independence Day celebrations in schools were also being badly affected. The education system in the Rawalpindi district will be completely destroyed, if the strike continues for a few more days, they said requesting the deputy commissioner to intervene immediately to resolve the issue and save the garrison city from education destruction.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 9^th, 2022.