FOR now, the storm seems to have been weathered. It had been a week of chaos during which many educational institutions were asked or decided themselves to temporarily close their gates.

Many took with a pinch of salt the Punjab government’s Jan 26 statement that it was because of the cold snap. With the decision taken shortly thereafter by several army- and navy-run institutions to close, many private establishments in various parts of the country followed suit, and only added fuel to speculations of the most worrying nature.

Amidst all this swirled allegations of institutions’ managements and staff being harassed in the name of security and of their protection measures being reviewed. While some schools did open on Monday, it was the agreement the same day between the Pakistan Education Council (representing nearly a dozen major private school chains) and the Punjab education minister that appeared to finally restore normalcy.

The minister accepted that the primary responsibility for the security of students and their schools rested with the government, and promised that private schools would not in future be closed without consultation with the institutions’ managements.

That said, Pakistan is far from home and dry. On Monday, during a high-level meeting held at the Prime Minister’s House in Islamabad to discuss progress on the National Action Plan, the prime minister emphasised that “those who are threatening our kids from going to schools will be defeated”.

But all the resolve in the world will not help unless it translates to concerted and multi-dimensional action.

The threat cannot be denied; it is vital therefore that school managements and the relevant arms of the state work in tandem.

Ensuring the safety of staff and students is paramount; but where it is impossible for the state to divert the full strength of its law-enforcement personnel to schools and colleges, so it is impossible for all institutions to meet the standards of fortification set by the state in its safety guidelines issued after the APS assault.

Then, both the state and school managements need to take into much closer confidence those who are the biggest stakeholders: the parents and guardians of students. Given what is at stake, there is overarching reason for them to have a say in what measures are being undertaken to protect institutions, and what the costs will be. The ugly new reality allows no room for the usual obfuscations and prevarications.

Published in Dawn, February 3rd, 2016