PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government in a bid to protect the students, has come up with strict guidelines for the movement of students from and to their respective schools.
As per the Directorate of Transport, all school and college buses operating across the province are now obliged to get a fitness certificate. No vehicle will be allowed to carry students if it doesn’t have the certificate.
The Directorate of Transport has already passed this directive on to the Private Schools Regulatory Authority (PSRA) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The circular unambiguously points out that the carrying vehicles of all the educational institutions should acquire fitness certificates classed as commercial vehicles. The fitness inspection of these buses will be the duty of the motor vehicle examiner.
In the note, the government stressed that legal measures will be taken against those who violate the prescribed rules and that school and college buses will be subject to regular inspections. The officials mentioned that the measure is meant to safeguard the students and assure their safety. Private schools have been asked to quickly get their vehicles registered and then get the fitness certificate as per the requirement.
Non-payment of rent: Owner locked building of Girls’ primary schools in Katlang
On December 12, the Owner of the building of the Government Girls Primary School, Taj Abad Tehsil, Katlang, locked the building for non-payment of rent, while the students were forced to study under the open sky without any building.
The loud claims of “educational emergency” by the provincial government were completely exposed when the owner locked and closed the Government Girls Primary School, Tajabad Katlang for non-payment of rent.
More than 150 students of the school were kept out of the building, which exposed the government’s priorities and the performance of the education department. The owner took drastic measures after the rent was not paid for several months and locked the main gate of the school.
As a result, the students are being forced to study under the open sky in a local hut in the cold. The negligence of the administration is making the situation more serious. The SDO and the concerned officers appear completely unaware and uncaring.
According to parents, government officials do not even know where the girls sit, in what condition they are studying, and what tragedy their future is being pushed towards. Public circles say that the education emergency is just a paper slogan that has no connection with the ground realities. The real face of educational development shown in the government’s advertisements worth crores of rupees is the locked doors of the schools and the helpless girls.
The landlord has taken a clear stand that the rent has not been paid for months, and he cannot leave his personal building for free use. If the department pays the dues, he will open the school from the outside. Parents and residents have expressed their anger and demanded strict action against the education department, SDO, and relevant government officials.
Citizens have said that if immediate notice is not taken, the future of the female students will be plunged into darkness, and all the government’s claims are limited to advertisements.
The people of the area have demanded that the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and top officials of the Education Department open the school immediately, ensure payment of rent, and hold the officers responsible for negligence accountable.
