The students said they were fortunate to go to school, considering their parents did not get the same opportunity. PHOTO: FILE
Many students of grades nine and 10 gathered outside the Bannu Press Club and told journalists they had travelled 25 kilometres in rickshaws to come protest. “We don’t want shoes and uniforms. We need teachers,” read one of the banners.
They claimed the school has only one science teacher for 375 students, while the mathematics teacher has not been giving lectures for the past two months and stays at home. The students said they would prefer having a teacher over drinking water, furniture and other facilities.
“We spent the entire summer without fans in the classrooms, but did not complain. We can tolerate the scorching heat, but cannot waste an academic year due to the absence of a science teacher,” said one of the students.
The students said they were fortunate to go to school, considering their parents did not get the same opportunity.
Criticising the provincial government, students complained their grievances go unheard despite calls to complaint centres. They wished government officials, including the education minister, would pay a surprise visit to take action against those slacking and not showing up to work.
Students threatened to go on a hunger strike and stage a sit-in outside the district education officer’s (DEO) office if the government fails to appoint a science teacher within a month.
The DEO could not be reached for comments despite repeated attempts.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 20th, 2013.
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