A primary school teacher was attacked and assaulted during school hours by the only school watchman and his accomplices in the village of Nara Amazai, Beat Gali, it was learned on Wednesday. The incident sparked fear and panic among students.
The Education Department took notice of the incident and suspended the watchman.
According to reports, the watchman, Gohar Rehman, along with a group of 10 to 12 men armed with axes, knives, sticks, and bricks, stormed the school and violently attacked the teaching staff. Students were traumatised by the violent scene, with some falling ill from fear.
Teacher Bilal Afzal said that the suspect infuriated when he was simply asked to perform his assigned duties. Gohar Rehman, despite being frequently absent, would mark his attendance fraudulently. He and his accomplices launched the attack with lethal weapons, causing severe distress, he alleged.
During the attack, teachers and students barricaded themselves inside classrooms to escape harm.
Afzal has submitted a formal complaint demanding legal and departmental action. It has also come to light that Gohar Rehman had previously served jail time for threatening and intimidating school teachers.
The Government Deo Primary School, where the incident occurred, only has two teachers and one watchman for 80 students.
Following the incident, fear remains high among students.
A police complaint has also been filed against Gohar Rehman.
Sources say class-IV appointments are often made on political grounds, and political patronage has emboldened such employees.
In many areas across the district, class-IV workers wield more influence than grade-17 schoolteachers.
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