Teachers' strike paralyses govt schools
Academic activities across all government schools in the Rawalpindi Division have come to a standstill following a strike called by the Grand Teachers Alliance.
The protest is in response to recent amendments to pension rules, concerns over the privatisation of government schools, and demands for the approval of leave encashment. As a result, the first semester examinations, originally scheduled to begin on September 25, have been halted, and the anti-dengue campaign has also been suspended.
The strike has paralysed operations in 5,610 government institutions across the six districts of Rawalpindi Division, including Rawalpindi, Jhelum, Attock, Chakwal, Talagang, and Murree. Students have been instructed to stay home, leading to a significant decrease in attendance.
In solidarity with the strike, banners and posters have been displayed in schools, marking an indefinite boycott of educational activities. Sports competitions have also been cancelled, and students have been exempted from attendance requirements.
The education department has requested a list of absent teachers and issued show-cause notices to 15 educators. However, the teachers have vowed to resist these actions, warning that any education officer who issues suspension orders will face protest. They assert that their fight is to protect government schools from privatisation, urging education officials to support rather than harass them.
Leaders of the Grand Teachers Alliance, including Shahid Mubarak, Malik Amjad Mehmood, and Qazi Imran, stated that their protest was peaceful and not politically motivated. They recalled an agreement made with Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz during a previous sit-in in Lahore, where she promised to address the demands of the central leadership. However, they claim that upon taking office, the chief minister has reneged on this commitment, which they argue is detrimental to the educational system.
The alliance expressed deep concern over job security, stating that the chief minister's actions threaten their livelihoods and the future of their children. They emphasised that their protests will continue and may escalate, including a potential long march to Islamabad. The leaders warned that the privatisation of schools will lead to increased educational costs and a rise in the number of out-of-school children, which could reach 30 million.