Moalims

LAHORE: Expressing strong reservations over Punjab government’s action against 94 teachers, schoolteachers’ unions in the province have termed the move a ‘conspiracy’ against education.

The Punjab School Education Department (SED) has decided to initiate an inquiry against 94 government head schoolteachers under the Punjab Employees Efficiency, Discipline and Accountability (Peeda) Act, 2006.

The accused were directed to submit their defence to an inquiry committee constituted by the SED on accusations of forcing students to clean classrooms. Some others were accused of thrashing students despite a ban on corporal punishment. The provincial government took notice of the incidents and initiated an inquiry.

In a statement issued on Saturday, the Grand Teachers’ Alliance (GTA), a group of teachers’ unions including the Punjab Teachers’ Union (PTU), alleged that the Punjab government’s real agenda was to “target and damage the reputation of public schools”.

GTA leaders Zafar Jameel, Sajjad Kazmi and Rana Sultan were of the view that because of the ‘privatisation’ plan of the government, the SED was targeting thousands of schoolteachers and taking action against them without any reason.

They believed bureaucratic forces in the province were intentionally ruining the school system and schoolteachers were among the first victims.

Referring to handing over of schools to the Punjab Education Foundation (PEF) and the Daanish School System, they said all teachers would counter the agenda of privatisation and handing over of schools on contracts to private entities.

The teachers also criticised the ban on corporal punishment and complained that students did not come to schools and teachers had no authority to punish such behaviour, whereas teachers were punished for low attendance.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 15th, 2017.