Protest against possible closure of schools in Charsadda

CHARSADDA: The teachers, students and owners of private schools on Tuesday staged a protest against the proposed closure of educational institutions owing to

the second wave of coronavirus pandemic in the country. A large number of teaching staff, students and owners of private schools came in processions from different areas of the district and gathered at the main Farooq-e-Azam Chowk and chanted slogans against the government.

People faced hardships due to blockade of chowk and the roads leading to various destinations from the district. Speaking on the occasion, Private Education Network (PEN), a conglomeration of various associations of private educational institutions, provincial vice-president Javed Khan, district president Nafeesullah and others said that they cannot afford the closure of their institutions anymore.

They said that too much precious time had already been wasted on the students during the first wave of Covid-19 and now the government was going to close down educational institutions again due to the surge of coronavirus cases.

Rejecting the government decision, PEN office-bearers alleged that the government was playing havoc with the future of the students by announcing closure of educational institutions for another time.

They vowed that all the private educational institutions would be kept open with strictly following the standard operating procedures (SOPs). They warned that the government move would be resisted tooth and nail if it resorted to close down educational institutions by force.