BAJAUR: The students of a government girls primary school in Mamond tehsil of Bajaur tribal district on Saturday protested against absence of teachers.
More than 300 students gathered on a road near the school building in Zagai areaand continued agitation for more than an hour, chanting slogans against the local education department for not taking notice of teachers’ absence since the school reopened on June 7 after a two-month closure due to Covid-19-induced restrictions.
The students said they were forced to protest after the education department officials did not ensure presence of teachers in the school despite making an appeal on social media.
“We are regularly visiting the school to get education, but unfortunately no teacher is available there,” a student deplored. The students pointed out that there were only three teachers for over 500 students, but even then they did not come to the school.
The students ended the protest after local elders assured them of raising the matter with the education department officials.
District education officer Arbab Shireen Zada could not be contacted on his mobile phone despite repeated attempts to get his version on the issue.
However, hours after the protest, the district education officer through a video massage on social media termed the protest a conspiracy hatched by some elements against him. He also denied the students’ claims about the absence of teachers in the school.
PAKHTUNS UPLIFT: Awami National Party provincial general secretary Sardar Hussain Babak has asked people to shun personal disputes and focus on their progress and development.
He stated this while speaking to party workers in Mata Shah area of Salarzai tehsil the other day.
He had gone there to offer condolences over the murder of Malik Abdul Ghani Khan, a member of ANP’s provincial working committee.
Mr Babak said personal disputes marred Pakhtuns’ socioeconomic uplift.
He asked the elders to play their due role in settlement of the personal disputes among the people.
Mr Babak slammed both the federal and provincial governments for not fulfilling their commitments to carry out sustainable development of the merged districts.
Published in Dawn, June 27th, 2021