Islamabad: Parents have complained about the shortage of facilities and staff at the Special Education Centre for Hearing and Speech Impairments in H-9/4, previously managed by the Ministry of Human Rights and currently overseen by the Ministry of Education.
They insisted that since January 9, 2025, all buses had been parked due to a lack of funds, leaving students unable to attend classes. The parents said with annual exams scheduled for March, there was a growing fear of the academic year being wasted.
During a PTA emergency meeting, chaired by President Sardar Iftikhar Khan at the SEC, parents showed up in large numbers. They urged the education minister and secretary to resolve the transport issue by restoring bus service, ensuring students resume education.
The participants also highlighted a severe shortage of teaching staff at the SEC, with positions vacant for the last 15 years. They said hardworking teachers had enabled students to achieve outstanding results in federal board's exams.
The parents said the centre urgently required 30 additional teachers to address the shortage issue. They also demanded the return of the centre to the Ministry of Human Rights to the welfare of students with disabilities. They threatened protests on the issue.