Teachers protest against closure of schools

Rawalpindi : A large number of teachers of private schools protested against closure of educational institutions. The protesters raising slogans against the government, carried banners and placards in their hands marched on Murree Road on Wednesday.

All Pakistan Private Schools Management Association (APPSMA) Divisional President Ibrar Ahmed Khan was leading the protest rally and demanded of the government to immediately open all educational institutions otherwise they would proceed towards Parliament House. The angry protesters marched from Rawalpindi Press Club to Committee Chowk.

A heavy contingent of police was present all around to control law and order situation on the occasion.

Traffic was badly disturbed due to protest as Murree Road was blocked between Mareer Chowk and Committee Chowk,

The protesters said that according to a UNICEF report, the educational career of 40 million children in Pakistan is at stake. 80 per cent students cannot use online education. A huge educational crisis has arisen in the country. Heads of private educational institutions, parents and students have gone on a rampage against the government attitude. The government has reopened all departments but closed only educational institutions, the protesters strongly denounced.

APPSMA Divisional President Ibrar Ahmed Khan said that the educational crisis that has arisen in the country could not be remedied in the next 10-years. Twenty-three million children are already out of school. Thousands of educational institutions have been closed in fear of coronavirus. All department of life were opened but only educational institutions closed means coronavirus will attack only in schools, he said.

The closure of educational institutions has left thousands of teachers unemployed. It seems from the government’s anti-knowledge policies that one-crore of people will become unemployed, he said. The protesters said that private schools have rejected the NCOC’s decision.