MUZAFFARGARH: More than 300 primary male and female schoolteachers, protesting against policy of privatisation of schools, on Wednesday took out a rally from the local press club to the DCO’s office.

The provincial government is in the process of privatising primary schools in the district through the Punjab Education Foundation (PEF).

The protesting teachers said they were already being pressurised by monitoring teams and denied facilities like casual leave and health insurance, apprehending that privatisation would further deprive them of their rights.

Ms Robin, a schoolteacher, said she had to travel for two hours from Muzaffargarh to Daira Din Panah and back to perform her duty but despite her requests she was not being transferred to a school in her hometown.

Teachers of Kot Addu tehsil also stopped teaching and attended a protest rally under Punjab Teachers’ Union. Meanwhile, the women teachers of Muzaffargarh have alleged they were facing threats from monitoring officials who visited the classrooms like “bosses” and harassed them.

Published in Dawn, January 21st, 2016