New sectors need public schools

Though the federal government has been spending a huge amount of money on renovating government schools, it is yet to task the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) with constructing schools in new sectors and housing societies.

FDE has constructed schools in just a few housing societies when there are over 100 legal and illegal housing societies in the federal capital. As a result, thousands of residents in other societies are deprived of their right of having a public school in their neighbourhood.

Meanwhile, taking advantage of FDE’s indifference, the owners of many housing societies have already used up the plots reserved for schools, meaning there will be no public schools on these societies in the future.

FDE is even yet to construct schools in G-13 and G-14. A few days ago, the Minister for Housing and Works Akram Khan Durrani also shared his concerns with the Senate Standing Committee on Housing and Works about the fact that FDE has not yet constructed a school on G-13.

“We have already allotted plots for schools in the sector, but despite repeated requests, the FDE is not constructing schools in the area, which is unjust to the residents of the sector,” he said.

Talking to Dawn, FDE Director Planning and Development Taj Mohammad Bhatti said Planning Commission had rejected many of their projects for schools.

He said that for the fiscal year 2016-17, FDE had sought approval from the Planning Commission for the construction of seven new schools in Rawal Town, D-17, F-17, G-15, PWD Colony and Humak which were all rejected.

When asked about schools in private housing societies, he said: “I do agree. We only have a few schools, may be five or eight, in housing societies and we do need new schools. Efforts are being made to establish schools where they are needed”.

“Residents of housing societies are also citizens of the federal capital and it is the state’s responsibility to construct schools for them,” said Malik Ameer, president of the Federal Government Teacher Association.

He added that establishing new schools would also reduce the burden of admissions in schools in the city.

NAB out to nip corruption in the bud

Delivering a lecture on ‘The Duty of Youth is to Challenge the Corruption’ at the Quaid-e-Azam University (QAU), National Accountability Bureau (NAB) director general (awareness and prevention) Aliya Rashid urged the younger generation to play their role in eliminating corruption.

The lecture was part of a campaign for creating awareness about and prevention against corruption and as an effort to encourage youth to identify and report corruption.

In her lecture, Ms Rashid talked about the various forms of corruption and how they are damaging our society and reminded students of the Quaid-e-Azam’s saying that corruption is a poison which has to be put down with an iron hand.

She told female students to make their future husbands to promise they will not be corrupt and said that mothers can shape the attitudes of children and their development.

She said the ‘Say No To Corruption’ campaign is intended for targeting young female university and college students who are going to be mothers in the future.

“Young people are the most important agents of change in the fight against corruption. Youth have the power to change the social, political and economic dynamics that underlie a resigned acceptance of bribery and other forms of corruption. It is the duty of every young person to prevent their family from corruption”, the NAB DG said.

QAU Vice Chancellor Dr Javed Ashraf lauded NAB’s efforts for creating awareness among the youth.

Published in Dawn, June 3rd, 2016