LAHORE: Punjab Education Minister Rana Mashhood Ahmed Khan has asked the educational institutions’ managements to complete security arrangements to ensure the protection of their institutions across the province by January 9.

He warned that the institutions failing to complete security arrangements in accordance with standard operating procedures of the home department by January 12 would be sealed. The minister said this at a meeting regarding security of educational institutions and examination centers on Friday.

The stakeholders, however, say the government is insisting on the stepping up of security in each educational institution that implies the government is unable to stop the terrorists reaching their boundary-walls.

The minister told the meeting that every public and private educational institution in the province would appoint one focal person from its staff, who would be imparted necessary training through the District Civil Defense and they would eventually train their colleagues about first aid and emergency response. He said schools and colleges should complete the work of construction of boundary walls with barbed wires on them, installation of CCTV cameras and provision of the facility of metal detectors or walk-through gates by January 12.

He said a four-member committee would be constituted for the supervision of this work in every district. The committee will consist of a senior officer each from district police, special branch, education department and the DCO office. He said the committee would remain in touch with school councils and continue monitoring of security steps.

The education minister said the construction work of boundary walls of 2,900 government schools was going on and would be completed in next few days. He said the Punjab government had put on 10 security companies of good repute on shortlist to provide trained security guards to every school. He said women security guards were being deployed in women educational institutions.

Published in Dawn, January 3rd, 2015

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