SWABI, Feb 18: Parents of students of the government high school, Mansabdar, have ann-ounced that they would not send their children to the school, unless the families of those children who were killed or injured in the roof collapse tragedy are compensated.

This was decided by elders of Mansabdar at a Jirga held soon after the accident.

The Jirga members were of the view that the roof of the school’s mosque collapsed due to the official negligence. The Jirga put the blame of the Monday tragedy on the officials of education department who had failed to construct additional classrooms and had accommodated the students in a mosque.

The elders said substandard material had been used in the construction of almost all school buildings in the district. They decided that they would not send their children to the school till the assurance of the NWFP chief minister about the construction of additional rooms at the school.

Meanwhile, all the government schools in the district have been closed keeping in view the dilapidated condition of the buildings. The local administration announced that the schools would remain closed till the continuation of rains to avert any further tragic incident.

The NWFP education minister, Maulana Fazli Ali has announced that Rs50,000 would be given to the parents of those students who were killed in the roof-collapse incident and Rs10,000 to the families of each injured.

Besides, he declared that free medical treatment and the transport expenditure would be provided to all the injured students.

The minister announced that the building of Mansabdar school would be demolished and a new building would be constructed as soon as possible. Until and unless the new building is ready students of the school would be shifted to a rented building.

The MMA MNAs Mohammad Usman and Maulana Khalil Ahmad, ANP MPAs Amir Rehman and Mukhtiar advocate, District Naib Nazim Mohammad Jamil and officials of the local administration visited the Mansabdar school and assured the staff of complete cooperation.