QUETTA: The All Pakistan Progressive Private Schools Association (APPPS) has expressed apprehensions that thousands of private schools in the city would be forced to close down because of strict government conditions regarding security arrangements.

The government has laid down conditions for school managements to enhance security and fortify boundary walls of their institutions

APPSA president Muhammad Hanif Khundai said at a press conference on Saturday that the authorities were not taking any action about thousands of government schools functioning without a boundary wall. However, obstructions were only being created for private schools.

He said the administration had called for setting up barricades, deploying security guards on rooftops, raising boundary walls to 8ft and installation of CCTV cameras at main gates of the schools.

Since Balochistan had a tribal society, people living in the vicinity of schools would raise objections over stationing of security guards on rooftops, he argued.

Criticising the deputy commissioner’s decision to close down 27 private schools for not complying with the orders, Mr Khundai said they should first be implemented in government schools and then in private institutions.

He warned of closing down about 7,000 private schools from March 27 if the government did not reverse its preconditions.

Published in Dawn, March 15th, 2015

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