LAHORE: The All Pakistan Private Schools Association urged the government to reopen educational institutes in the country from June 1, as the schools were “struggling to pay teachers”`.
“We are unable to pay the teachers,” APPSA President Kashif Mirza said in a press conference in Lahore. “We must be allowed to open schools from June 1.”
Mirza said if they were not allowed to reopen schools, then they would stage protest demonstrations.
He described the concept of online education as a “flopped project”.
“We have formulated SOPs in accordance with international standards,” he said, urging the government to hold talks with them.
Educational institutes in Pakistan have been closed till mid-July due to a surge in Covid-19 cases. The government had also decided to promote students to the next grades as “the board examinations for the ninth grade to intermediate (12th grade)” could not be held due to the contagion.
The private schools body had opposed the decision at that time as well. Mirza had said that they would not accept the government’s decision to keep the educational institutes closed till July 15. Terming it “economic murder” of private institutes, Mirza had said that 90 per cent private school buildings are rented while teachers are to be paid their salaries too.
“Around 50% schools would be shut down permanently and one million people would lose their jobs if educational institutes remained closed until July 15,” Mirza had said. “It is impossible to recover educational losses due to the coronavirus lockdown.”
He had demanded the government formulate SOPs and announce the reopening of schools across Pakistan from June 1.
