Sirajul Haq slams govt for no policy to reopen schools, colleges

LAHORE: Jamaat-e-Islami ameer Senator Sirajul Haq has lamented that PTI government has not developed any policy for the revival of educational activities despite passage of four months for the closure of schools, colleges and universities in the country.

Addressing a session held under the aegis of National Association for Education and Private School Association at Mansoora on Sunday, he said it seemed the government had no

solution to minimise the educational disruption due to the outbreak of Covid-19.

Educational institutions, he said, had been lying closed since February 24 but no official plan was presented for their opening. He said over 1.5 million teachers were feared to lose their jobs beside irreparable loss to education millions of students if the ban was continued for unspecified period.

Therefore, he emphasised, the authorities should immediately sit down with the private school associations and form plan to resume educational activities. There was no logic to keep close the private schools after the opening of markets, transport and other activities, he added.

The JI chief said it had become impossible for thousands of teachers of private sector to meet their both ends as they were sitting at their homes without getting salaries.

He asked the government to compensate teachers from the Rs 1,200 billion corona fund. He said the government should shun the step-motherly treatment with the teachers and announce relief package for them.

Senator Siraj said the confused statements issued by the prime minister and his team on almost daily basis brought damage to national solidarity. It was not a time to create an environment of uncertainty rather need of the hour was to bring out the nation out of the crisis, he added. Education experts Shahid Warsi, Hidayat Khan and JI Information Secretary Qaisar Sharif attended the sitting.