Boundary walls to be built around 2,411 schools for security, SHC told

The secretary for school education informed the Sindh High Court on Friday that the boundary walls of 2,411 schools would be constructed during the current financial year 2017-18.

The court was hearing a petition of the Pakistan Institute of Labor Education and Research (Piler) seeking directives for provincial authorities to boost the security of educational institutes following the killing of over 130 children at the Army Public School in Peshawar in December 2014.

Piler had filed the petition in January 2015 seeking directions for the Sindh government to protect all the educational institutes in the province in order to avoid a repetition of the terrorism incident.

The court, at a previous hearing, had directed the education and home departments to inform the court about measures regarding the implementation of the proposed action plan suggesting enhanced security measures to be adopted by the government for all educational institutions.

The petitioner had submitted the proposed action plan and suggested that school security to be enhanced across the province. The court had directed the focal person to assist the court in getting implemented the proposed action plan.

The secretaries for school education and the home department filed comments highlighting security measures with regard to schools and other private educational institutions. He submitted that out of 4,560 schools, a doable portfolio of 3,890 primary schools had been selected on the basis of their high enrolments of 998,22 students and 670 post-primary schools having an enrolment of 2,46,780 students.

He said that this was flagship project for the rehabilitation and expansion of facilities providing, a boundary wall, a wash room, etc., in which boundary walls in 2,411 schools would be constructed in this year and the rest of the schools would be taken up next year.

He submitted that under ADP 2016-17 81 schools were selected for the construction of boundary walls and one scheme of the college education sector having 14 colleges were also taken up under the ADP-2016.

The home secretary also pointed out a letter issued to him by the additional IG who recommended certain security measures. A division bench headed by Justice Mohammad Ali Mazhar observed that copies of the comments be supplied to the petitioner’s counsel who wanted to go through the same and point out lapses if any on the security measures and adjourned the hearing till June 12.

Differently-abled persons

The Sindh High Court directed the cabinet to establish a fund for the rehabilitation differently-abled persons as per Section 15 of the Sindh Differently Abled Persons (Employment, Rehabilitation and Welfare) Act, 2014 before the expiry of the provincial government’s term.

The court was hearing a petition of Mohammad Amin and others seeking the implementation of the act. The court also directed the information department to publish notices through print and electronic media, including advertisements in news and entertainment channels, informing the private establishments that five per cent of their employees must be differently-abled persons. It has also been ordered that a separate publication should be done through print and electronic media in order to inform differently-abled persons regarding the registration process. The case has been adjourned to August 8 for further proceedings.