ISLAMABAD: Put in a dilemma by the local authorities’ ‘arrange your own security or close’ order, several private schools and institutes in the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi have opted for the latter – at least for the time being.

It is a tall order. Even the big names in the commercialised education sector say it is a costly affair to install walk-through gates, CCTV surveillance system and deploy armed guards at their premises to protect their students.

Private schools with low budgets find themselves in bigger quandary.

Dawn has learnt that the management of the Froebel’s School System has closed its schools until Eidul Azha holidays that fall in November.

Beaconhouse and City schools were to open on Thursday but were closed until Sunday after their managements received orders from the Islamabad administration to arrange the prescribed security measures.

Only the government-run schools and colleges are open, apparently because, unlike the private institutions, the government cannot abdicate its duty to protect its own institutions.

An official press release issued on Thursday said the Islamabad administration and police have held a series of meetings with school managements since October 27 'to guide them on taking effective security measures' to protect their students, staff and buildings against terrorist attacks.

Educational institutions have been feeling insecure since military-run schools were closed temporarily after the audacious terrorist attack on the Army GHQ in Rawalpindi on October 10.

Their worst fears became a reality ten days later when terrorists launched two attacks on the International Islamic University in Islamabad, targeting its girl students in particular. That caused all educational institutes – schools, colleges, universities – across the country to close temporarily.

Institutes in Islamabad and Rawalpindi were struggling to reopen this week when the authorities’ strange order to them to arrange their own security forced them to keep their doors shut on the thousands upon thousands of students.

An official of the Private Schools Association of Islamabad who attended Thursday’s meeting with the local administration said that most of its member schools were reluctant to resume classes as they were unable to meet the security standards set by the administration and police, and so felt vulnerable to terrorist attacks.

Its guidelines, prepared by the special branch of police, wish schools 'to function freely' but adhere strictly to the security standards. One designated faculty member should keep liaison with the local police on security matters.

These guidelines include verification of security guards deployed at schools, stickers for school vehicles and office cards for the employees. It also advises that school boundary walls be minimum eight feet high.

Arms licences were promised to all owners of schools for security purpose. Schools concentrated in one area should jointly arrange security. Walk through gates will be mandatory for schools where student enrolment is over 1,000. Other schools will place scanners at entry points. The schools will also install CCTV cameras.

These security arrangements would be monitored by area police officer and magistrates.

A private school liaison committee at district level has also been set up, headed by the ADC(G)ICT. Its members are SP investigation, SDPO rural, DSP special branch, DSP Women, Faisal Mushtaq Root School, Muhammad Akram Beaconhouse, Muhammad Anwar General Secretary Private School Associations urban area, and Chaudhry Ilyas Mehrban, Chairman Private School Associations rural area.

'The cost of walk-through gates ranges between Rs25,000 to Rs300,000, without tax and duties. It is impossible for most schools’ administrations to bear such high expense. Similarly they have to bear additional expenses on hiring private security guards, purchase of their weapons and security cameras and raising boundary walls maximum eight feet,' said the office-bearer of PSA.