Pakistan: Protest by teachers leaves thousands of students without education

Peshawar: More than 22,000 students across primary schools in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) have no option but to sit at home as the province's All-Primary Teachers Association (APTA) are holding a major sit-in protest at Peshawar's Jinnah Park to press for their demands.

APTA Provincial President Azizullah has said that the protest will continue until the KP Education Minister issues an official notification for teachers' upgradation.

On the other hand, the KP Education Department has taken the forced closure of schools as a challenge to the provincial government's authority, warning to take strong action against APTA and the thousands of teachers involved in the protest.

Azizullah, meanwhile, continues to mobilise support, insisting that the government plans to launch a crackdown on the protest.

"Our phones are off and we are all keeping a low profile. Schools will only reopen once the government issues an official upgradation notification for teachers, as there will be no compromise on this demand. Teaches are united; they have made sacrifices in the past and are prepared to face any difficulty to secure their rights," he said.

APTA had warned last month that it would shut down all 26,000 primary boys and girls schools from November 5 and would not reopen them until their demands are met.

"The sit-in would mark a historic event, as it is being held to demand the notification of upgradation, and regularization of 13,500 teachers, the restoration of forced promotions, and the revival of the fargo option", remarked Azizullah.

Along with the demand of regularization of teachers, the teachers' protest also opposes the privatization of primary schools. APTA is demanding creation of senior primary school teacher posts with position codes in merged districts of KP, class-wise teacher appointments at every primary school and teacher regularization under the 2022 Act and its inclusion into the General Provident (GP) Fund.

APTA says that even though it remains open to positive negotiations, no flexibility would be shown in their demands and the primary education system of KP province will remain completely shut.

The protest by the teachers is fast becoming a major challenge for the KP government as thousands of primary teachers, including men and women, take to the streets and force the education system of the province to shut down completely for an indefinite period of time.