RAWALPINDI: The Rs240 million released to government schools by the provincial government for the replacement of missing facilities has been spent in a week on upgrading security.

Punjab government had allocated the money to 1,946 government-run schools in the district two months ago for replacing missing facilities and released the amount 10 days ago.

The administrations of these schools decided to use this money when they were directed to construct higher boundary walls, install barbed wires, UPS devices, CCTV cameras and ensure other security measures, a senior official of the education department told Dawn, adding that the government did not have enough money to give them more.

Government-run schools will not be given more funds this fiscal year, he said, because the Rs240 million had been released in the middle of the fiscal year and every school was to be given between Rs0.8 and Rs1 million.

Former army and Rangers officials to be hired to man public schools

The official explained that for the next five months, government schools will not be able to replace missing facilities like chairs, benches, computer labs, water coolers and fans among other things.

“The government has asked the education department to deploy 176 retired army or Rangers officials on guard duty for schools. Interviews for these positions will start on February 2 and the guards will be paid from development funds,” he added.

Executive District Officer Education Qazi Zahoorul Haq told Dawn the money allocated for missing facilities had been utilised for upgrading security because keeping children and staff safer was more important.

These measures will be inspected in a few days, he added.

When asked about hiring ex-military and former Rangers officials as guards, he said that the education department had already hired guards for 29 schools and that the remaining schools that are on the sensitive list will be hiring guards over the next week.

He added that the police were helping in keeping schools safe and that police units will be guiding and checking schools in this regard.

Guards will be equipped with the latest weapons by the Punjab government, he said, adding that “the local administration is purchasing 147 rifles from the Pakistan Ordnance Factories to give to school guards”.

Published in Dawn, February 2nd, 2016