The All Pakistan Private Schools and Colleges Association (APPSCA) on Friday rejected the proposed closure of educational institutions due to the coronavirus pandemic and threatened to hold countrywide protests.
Addressing a press conference against the government’s possible decision to close educational institutions, the office bearers of the APPSCA said that in the case of an extreme emergency, they are ready to close educational institutions from 15 December 2020 to 5 January 2021 in consultation with all the stakeholders.
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President APPSCA, Malik Abrar Hussain, said that any attempt to close educational institutions will be unacceptable and that the government should not provoke them to hold nationwide protests.
He stated that in case of an emergency, the APPSCA is ready to close schools from 15 December 2020 to 5 January 2021 in consultation with the stakeholders. He added that strict lockdowns should also be imposed on all the government offices, markets, transport and railways services, and educational institutions, highlighting that thousands of educational institutions that were closed in the lockdown are now facing financial problems.
If the closure of schools is inevitable, the government should first provide a relief package for the private education sector, demanded Hussain, adding that the academic year had already been wasted.
Hussain further said that the Internet is not available to everyone across the country. He asked how would the children in rural and backward areas learn online when there is no electricity in their areas.
He emphasized that the government should not make a final decision without consulting the stakeholders.
Educational institutions had been closed for six months from March to September this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, said Central Secretary-General, Ashraf Hiraj.
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The Secretary-General remarked that due to this closure, educational institutions are still suffering from a severe financial crisis.
“We salute the teachers who continued their education through online classes,” said Hiraj, noting that it is very surprising that the government is considering closing schools from 23 November.
It had been announced earlier in the summer that a winter break would not be granted, but now it seems likely that the government is going to call for extended winter vacations.
The officer bearers said that they want to present their recommendations to the government before the meeting scheduled for 23 November.
Execute their Chairman’s head to teach them all a lesson on what happens when you try to blackmail the STATE.
Absolutely
Let’s not resort to that this isn’t the soviet union after all
All of schools owners included in this protest should be injected COVID forcefully so that they may learn value of life against money
I don’t get it they are opposed to lockdown and would not impose strict SOPs in their schools. Plus they are demanding compensation for their mistakes. If you don’t want schools to shut down then make them a safer place for the students rather than resorting to a nationwide protest and putting more people’s lives in danger.
Even during the 6-months they still charged the tuition fee, so what financial crisis are they talking about? I do agree that the gov’t shouldn’t close only schools to prevent the virus but in case of emergency, will any of the school owners take responsibility? I’m sure they would throw all the blame on the children and the gov’t. Even my university made us sign a paper stating that in case of virus positivity the university will not be responsible.
They are blackmailers, laid off teachers during pandemic but charged fee fully plus did yearly increment not just fee but transportation fee too. On the other hand there were no operational expences as schools were closed. Yet they are going through financial loses.
I’m amazed at how people are responding against school administrations. This is so shallow! For a moment, don’t think about the well settled schools. Please think about the low profile schools with low fee structures in the remote areas.
I don’t know where have the schools not been financially hit but I being a teacher didn’t get paid for 6 months because many students weren’t paying fee and their building rent threw them into heavy loans. When the school reopened, around 200 students who had due fees, just left the school.
Just stating my experience.. there are always two sides of a story.
And regarding the pandemic, are the markets and general public following SOPs?
Private schools need fee charged so they are opposite to government money is important for them not life this is only truth not a question
These people are just priests of money and they are hungry for money. They don’t care about people’s lives. They only care about their stomachs. They should be ashamed.
Health is first.
so I think schools should be definitely closed
There are no financial crisis that the school is facing. They are taking full school fees every month . They should care about the lives of people
According to President APPSCA, Malik Abrar Hussain, money trumps student lives.
No subsidy should be provided since it is “private” business and that entails an inherent risk.
They charge abhorrently high fees and now can’t sustain themselves under proposed closure. Perhaps this is God’s justice and wrath upon these cold-hearted thieves.