04 March 2005	Friday	22 Muharram 1426

PESHAWAR, March 3: The Peshawar district government has imposed a ban on activities of non-governmental organisations in public-sector primary and secondary schools, sources told Dawn here on Thursday.

The district education department has decided not to allow NGOs to continue their projects in government schools. The executive district officer (education) has sent a notification in this regard to all government schools, say sources in the education department.

Many NGOs were running projects in public schools and even some teachers were associated with these non-governmental organisations. Most of the NGOs have launched health and education projects in schools.

The sources said that schools collected huge funds in the name of children's welfare, but spent little for the purpose. This practice brought a bad name to educational institutions as well as to the provincial government, the sources said.

The education department has warned the administrations of government-run schools that if the practice continued, action would be taken against violators. When contacted, Mr Zakaullah, chairperson of the Pakistan Village Development Programme, said the government a month ago had issued a letter to NGOs running projects in government schools, expressing concern over the visit of two private companies to the institutions.

These companies had talked to students about a few health issues which were considered taboos. The district government should not restrict the non-governmental organisations as many of them were running projects related to health and education.

The PVDP was also running a project, approved by the government and an international agency, and teaching life skills to schoolchildren. The provincial government should not close the project, he said.

"The NGOs are working for the welfare of children and doing nothing immoral or against the religious teachings," Mr Zaka observed. The principals of three schools in Peshawar district confirmed about receiving the official notification. However, the officials of the provincial education department denied any knowledge of such directives.