SWABI, June 17: The Subject Specialists’ Association has criticized the government’s decision to set up colleges on playgrounds of higher secondary schools, saying it will deprive students of the opportunity to participate in extra-curricular activities.

The association’s president Pervez Khan, vice-president Rahim Zada and other leaders said on Friday that there were a number of spacious playgrounds on colleges’ premises but the government was bent upon constructing colleges in schools’ playgrounds.

Mr Khan said the authorities were merging higher secondary schools into degree colleges. He said the directorate of colleges had taken over the playgrounds of the government higher secondary schools at Gandaf and Shewa in Swabi and Totali and Porn Shangla in Swat districts. He said a similar move was on the cards at the government higher secondary school, Kabal, Swat.

He said the steps were being taken to serve political motives.

If the government kept following the current policy, all the 1,000 subject specialists in the province would be pushed into the surplus pool, he said.

“Instead of replacing higher secondary schools with degree colleges, new colleges should be established.

According to the education policy of 1997 all the high schools will be upgraded to higher secondary level and only degree classes will be taught in colleges,” he said.