Students determined to defeat terror with education

Islamabad
Students and parents have vowed that the weapon of education would be used to defeat rising extremism and terrorism because it is the only way to get rid of the mindset that helps nourish the narrative of violence-based ideologies in society.
“The government should spend maximum funds to promote education, especially in restive areas, where children are deprived of their basic right to achieve formal education,” said Shahid Iqbal, a resident of Sector F-11.
He said there are genuine concerns about security of students after the tragic incident of Army Public School in Peshawar, but it does not mean that educational institutions should be closed down and students be sent back to their homes.
Shahid said the government and people of Pakistan must show resolve that they would not compromise over education of their children, adding “The re-opening of the schools and resumption of classes would be a defeat of the terrorists who would always fail in their nefarious designs.”
The police department has evolved a mechanism in coordination with teachers for foolproof security of schools. Of 653 educational institutions of Islamabad, 354 are government while 299 are private. Tafrid Malik, a student of class 5 at a government school in Sector I-8, said they feel happy over resumption of their classes and hope that their schools would not be closed down in future due to security reasons.
“My parents are also concerned about security threats in the school, but I hope that the government would take effective measures to provide security to students,” he said.