SAHIWAL: More than 4,500 elected office-bearers, including 2,284 girls, of l,157 student councils of public sector boys and girls schools took oath to their offices in the district on Friday.

The central oath-taking ceremony was held at the Government Comprehensive High School where Deputy Commissioner Barrister Dr Ehtisham Anwar administered oath to the schoolchildren’s representatives.

The councils, having four office-bearers each, were directly elected by 312,908 enrolled students in the election on Nov 14. Every council has a president, senior vice president, general secretary/finance secretary and press secretary.

The election was held under the supervision of Education Department CEO Sajjad Aslam while the respective school management and teachers played the role of election commission and staff.

Interestingly, students in 50 cities of the country organised a Students Solidarity March on Friday for restoration of student unions among higher educational institutions.

Speaking in the oath-taking ceremony, Mr Ehtisham said word ‘politics’ was having negative connotation among the general public but democracy was being taught to students by letting them exercise one man, one vote at school level without using the word ‘politics’ and student union.

He said the councils would be empowered to play a role in school management and create a healthy environment for ‘character building’.

He said the elected representatives were those having a strong academic performance, 90pc attendance and no political affiliation.

A student, Rabiya, who was elected as president of Government Girls Pilot School, Sahiwal City, told Dawn that it was the first time in her school’s history that girls played the role of voters and elected their own representatives.

“I, along with three other candidates, ran our election campaigns, designed election material, registered ourselves as constituents and cast votes on a ballot paper in free, fair and transparent manner”.

Ms Rabiya, who won the election with a margin of 100 votes, is hopeful she would get exposure in understanding the real meaning of democracy through student councils.

The function was attended by Parks and Horticulture Authority Director Ali Nouraz Shakoor, Additional Deputy Commissioner (General) Farooq Akmal, a large number of district and tehsil education officers, parents, students and members of civil society.

Published in Dawn, November 30th, 2019