Primary schools remain closed on 3rd day in KP

PESHAWAR: Primary schools across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa remained closed for the third consecutive day as teachers continued the strike and protest sit-in in the provincial metropolis on Thursday, demanding upgrading of their services.

President of the All Primary Teachers Association (APTA), Azizullah Khan, told The News that the suspension of primary school teachers would not deter their “rightful protest.” The provincial government the other day had issued directives for the suspension of all the protesting teachers.

Aziz dismissed the media reports about schools reopening. He, however, confirmed that Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur had invited them to the CM’s House for a meeting, which he hoped might lead to a resolution. “However, until a positive outcome is reached, the strike will go on” , he said.

Protesting teachers also plan to escalate their protest by organizing a sit-in outside the Provincial Assembly on Khyber Road. He criticized the suspension orders as unjust, stressing that the KP government must fulfill their demands. He said that although the then chief minister Mahmood Khan had announced the upgradation of primary teachers, no further progress was made.

The demand for fair wages has led to the closure of approximately 26,000 schools, impacting millions of students and revealing the challenges facing KP’s education system. Protesters pointed out the lack of attention to critical areas like education, citing that over 5,000 teachers in girls’ community schools were still awaiting overdue salaries, which has hindered their ability to teach effectively.

In 2014, the PTI government declared an “Educational Emergency” in KP with the aim of overhauling the school system. Nearly a decade later, however, the sector remains in a difficult state, with many schools lacking basic infrastructure, including secure buildings, boundary walls, electricity, washrooms, and clean drinking water.

The teachers voiced frustration with the KP government’s financial mismanagement and questioned its commitment to education, especially for rural girls. The government’s perceived inaction over the teachers’ protests has drawn criticism, raising doubts about its dedication to improving education in the province.