Peshawar tragedy puts private schools under safety scanner

A school should be the safest place for a child, not a building where a cracked wall, a faulty wire or a weakened roof could turn a routine school day into a tragedy. The deadly collapse of a school building in Peshawar has prompted the Sindh government to tighten safety requirements for private educational institutions across the province.

In a stern directive issued on Friday, the Sindh School Education and Literacy Department has ordered private schools to ensure the structural integrity of their buildings, obtain valid fitness certificates and inspect electrical and gas installations. Institutions operating in unsafe premises have been told to suspend academic activities immediately, while those responsible for violations could face legal action.

The Directorate of Inspection and Registration of Private Institutions issued the instructions through a letter dated October 16, signed by Additional Director Registration Rafia Javed. The directive requires school owners, principals and administrators to ensure immediate and complete compliance with the safety measures. The letter stated that the Peshawar tragedy had underscored the urgent need to protect the lives of students, teachers and other school staff. It made clear that no educational institution would be permitted to operate in a building that posed a threat to its occupants.

Under the new instructions, schools requiring repairs, renovation or maintenance must complete the necessary work without delay. Any portion of a building declared unsafe must remain closed until the required repairs have been carried out and the premises have been deemed safe.

School owners and principals have also been directed to immediately notify the relevant directorate if their buildings are found to be dilapidated, damaged, structurally weak or otherwise hazardous. Academic activities in such buildings must be suspended without delay.

To prevent disruption to students' education, the directorate will facilitate the transfer of children from affected schools to nearby safe institutions.