ISLAMABAD: Private school owners and teachers on Sunday staged a protest outside the National Press Club against the Capital Development Authority (CDA) for sealing dozens of schools in residential areas.

They said the civic agency is determined to deprive thousands of students from getting a private education and are using the excuse non-conforming use to this end. The protestors said if schools are not re-opened after summer vacations, they will hold classes on roads.

CDA has sealed 34 schools in G-6 and I-8 during the last two days. On Saturday, the Building Control Directorate sealed 22 schools in I-8, which made the Private School Association to take to the streets in protest.

According to CDA records, 363 schools are operating in residential areas of the capital. The civic agency is conducting a campaign against private schools operating in residential areas as commercial activities are banned in residential areas.

CDA officials say the Islamabad High Court has also directed the agency to end the non-conforming use of residential properties.

Private School Association President Zofran Elahi said: “This a matter of 100,000 students in the urban areas and some 150,000 students in the rural areas”.

He added that CDA should have come up with an alternate plan before starting the operation.

“We are condemning the unjustified action of the CDA. The civic agency should stop the campaign and reopen the schools it sealed during the last few days,” he said, adding that private schools have been playing a major part in spreading education.

There were 393 government educational institutions 20 years ago and 29 new ones were established since when the population of the city has grown by five times.

“Private schools have been conducting the state’s responsibility of providing education but the CDA thinks otherwise,” he said.

Mr Elahi added that CDA had allotted large plots for government schools a large portion of which are unutilised.

“If CDA wants us to move private schools from residential areas, it should allot plots for private institutions,” he said, proposing that government school buildings can be rented to private schools for operating in the evenings. It can allow private schools to build underground campuses in parks like in Malaysia, he said.

Private School Association Information Secretary Abdul Waheed Khan told Dawn education should be treated like a social service.

“At least primary schools should be allowed in residential areas and CDA should amend its by-laws for this, he said, adding that in 2007, CDA had agreed on allowing schools on double roads and service roads as well and backtracked from its own proposal later.

Teachers will oppose the CDA on every appropriate forum and stage demonstrations, he said.

Several politicians also visited the protest site in solidarity with private schools including PTI’s Ali Awan, PPP’s Syed Sibtul Haider Bokhari and JI’s Mian Aslam.

In a statement issued from PTI’s central media office, the party’s leader Asad Umar also condemned the CDA’s action and said it is not right for the agency to hide its incompetency behind court orders. He asked why CDA was taking action now when the court order was issued two years ago.

CDA’s Director Building Control Faisal Naeem, who is supervising the ongoing campaign, told Dawn that in May this year, Islamabad High Court had directed the civic agency to take action against the schools operating in residential areas.

“Running schools in residential areas is violation of our bylaws. Residential areas are meant for residences, no one is allowed to use their property for setting up schools at the cost of nuisance for inhabitants of the areas,” he said and added that CDA’s bylaws are available to facilitate private schools in Zone IV and V of the capital.

He said that CDA is also working on a summary, which will be presented before the CDA board, for allowing pre-schools in residential areas.

Published in Dawn, July 23rd, 2018