Education facilities: Students, teachers protest merger plan

Students fear inconvenience, teachers demand more schools

DERA GHAZI KHAN:

Scores of students and teachers on Monday protested the proposed merger of two public schools with the Daanish School System.

The teachers and students of Government Boys High School No. 1 and Central Model School gathered at Jail Road and blocked it for traffic by burning old tyres. Some of them later tried to enter the offices of the commissioner and the DCO. They also pulled down barriers installed at these buildings. After they were not allowed in the buildings, they chanted slogans against the district administration and walked to Kutchery Road where they staged a sit-in. Muhammad Ali, a student of Government Boys High School, said his right to education was under threat.  “The Daanish School in Dera Ghazi Khan is quite far from where I live,” he said. “Will I have to travel across the city to go to school?”

Representatives of the Punjab Teachers Union said the government had allocated billions of rupees for improving education. “Why are they shutting down schools instead of giving them more facilities?” they said.

They said the government was trying to put public education under “an NGO system.” They said the chief minister should halt the merger of the schools and provide missing facilities at their schools.

Crackdown

The district police on Monday launched a search operation at internet cafes and video shops and seized objectionable material. DPO Ghulam Mubashir Maikan told newsmen that after child pornography was uncovered in Kasur, police in Dera Ghazi Khan had raided several internet cafes and video stores. He said eight people had been arrested for distributing objectionable content.

Security beefed up

Security around schools near tribal areas was beefed up on Monday after ISIS pamphlets were found in front of several schools there.  A police spokesman said an FIR had been registered against unidentified men for leaving pamphlets at schools in Bharti, Fazla Kacha, Darg and Katba. He said the pamphlets condemned co-education and called for donations. He said the pamphlet had been sponsored by Jhakkar Azam, a leader of the Khorasani group of the ISIS. He said the pamphlet had warned of attacks on government buildings. Tribal Area Political Assistant Shahid Mehboob said the pamphlets had been taken down and an FIR had been registered. He said Border Military Police had increased patrolling in the area. He said scrutiny at check posts had been tightened.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 18^th, 2015.