Private schools put off long march until April 8

Islamabad: The private educational institutions have postponed the March 31 countrywide long march against the government's restriction on in-person classes until April 8.

The development comes following talks between the representatives of All Pakistan Private Schools and Colleges Association and Islamabad's district administration.

The association had announced a few days ago that their members along with students, teachers and parents would hold a long march across the country on March 31 and hold classes in the education ministry's offices if the government doesn't allow the resumption of in-person learning.

APPSCA central president Malik Abrar Hussain told reporters here on Tuesday that the association, after consulting the countrywide private educational institutions bodies and holding talks with Islamabad’s administration, had decided to give the government another chance over the scheduled agitation against the prolonged campus closures.

“If the government doesn’t announce the reopening of educational institutions for in-person classes from April 11, then we [representatives of private schools] will go for the promised countrywide long march on April 8,” he said.

Accompanied by other association members, Malik Abrar said the government was managing the important education sector through ‘trial and error' and thus, denying children and youth an easy access to education.

He claimed that by and large, educational institutions observed coronavirus-related SOPs and recorded far fewer cases compared to other sectors.

The APPSCA president said it was ironic that the markets, which caused spread of the virus, were open but educational institutions had been closed in an act of conspiracy against the cause of education.

He said the matriculation and intermediate examinations were just around the corner and that learning losses caused by the prolonged campus closures won’t be covered.

“Students and their parents will join our [private schools’] long march if the government does not reverse decision on school closures,” he said.

Malik Abrar flayed the government for breaking its promise of providing interest-free loans to the teachers and small school owners and relief to the private educational institution during the last lockdown.

He demanded financial assistance for educational institutions, which had remained closed during the pandemic, and relief for teachers rendered jobless.