Students continue to protest uniform

Principal argues new uniform will make it easier for them to operate machines.

PESHAWAR:

Students of the Government Technical College, Peshawar, have demanded the administration to withdraw the decision of changing the uniform while the college administration sticks to its stance on the issue.

Not being allowed to enter the school without their new uniforms, around 300 students of the college continued their sit-in outside its gate, where they have been protesting for the past two weeks

The sudden decision of the school administration to make new clothes as standard uniform has come as a shock to many students.  Muhammad Hameed, a student from Khyber Agency, said the students were not wearing the new ‘pant-shirt’ uniform as many tribesmen from their areas were conservative and many extreme militant factions existed there. Hameed said that this new situation was just wasting their time and they were missing many of their classes. Kamran Khan, a student from Bannu, said he had been wearing his shalwar-kameez uniform for the past two years and cannot afford the new uniform, which he claimed cost Rs4,000 with shoes.

Another student, Muhammad Owais, said only 10 students in his class of 64 agreed to the new dress code. He said those opposing the change included many from Darra Adamkhel, Mattani and other tribal areas. He said many were ready to continue the protest as long as need be. “We are Pakhtun and we will only wear shalwar kameez,” he said.

Sirtaj Gul, principal of the college, told The Express Tribune that the aim of the new dress code was to unify students and identify them with the college.

Gul added that the uniform would also make it easier for the students to work on machines that they do often. He said clear instructions were given to all students to adhere to the new rules or they would not be permitted to enter the college and claimed a majority of students agreed to it.

Gul said that although there was opposition to the move, he was positive students would gradually accept the new dress.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 27^th, 2012.