Daily Times

LAHORE: The teachers of public schools of Punjab held a sit-in outside the Punjab Assembly against the government’s anti-education policies on Saturday.

The protesting teachers also threatened to continue sit-in besides locking up classrooms if their demands were not met.

The sit-in was arranged in reaction to the government’s decision of handing over public schools to Punjab Education Foundation, other NGOs and Danish School authority. Holding placards inscribed with slogans like ‘we want justice’, ‘save teachers’, ‘anti-education policies unacceptable’, the protesting teachers lashed out the government for their ‘wrong policies’. The teachers, some of who were seen equipped with sleeping bags, water coolers and umbrellas, also demanded the chief minister to solve the matters of this noble profession.

Punjab Teachers Union (PTU) leaders including Sajjad Kazmi, Rana Liaqat, Jam Sadiq and Aslam Ghumman were present on the occasion.

Talking to Daily Times, Sajjad Kazmi said that the Punjab government should understand the actual problems that erupt by changing education policy every year. “The government, since coming into power in 2008, has made a routine of introducing new education policy with every new academic year,” Kazmi said, adding that this practice should be stopped now and the government has to address teachers’ problems seriously.

He said that no one in the world has ever heard of giving a school on contract, but this practice is common in Pakistan. Kazmi observed that teachers are sitting outside PA and now it’s the government’s turn to cooperate with them. “If our demands not met, we will not only lock up all classrooms but will also continue with our sit-in besides holding protests in other parts of the province as well,” he added.

Another teacher, Rana Liaqat Ali, said that Punjab government is humiliating the teachers’ community, which is considered as most respectful community around the world. “It is unfortunate that our teachers are forced to protest for their right instead of getting essential trainings in line with modern technologies,” he added.

Saima, a female teacher, said that no one wants to come on roads until one is forced to do so. “We are here for our rights and will not go back before getting our demands fulfilled,” she added.