Nearly 18000 school teachers along with the non-teaching staff from various schools and colleges staged a sit-in protest outside the parliament (red zone) on Thursday against the government’s decision of placing the Federal Directorate of Education under the administration of the Municipal Corporation of Islamabad (MCI).
The protesters from 390 schools initially gathered in front of the National Press Club and then started moving towards the Parliament House where they recorded their protest against the local government ordinance.
They faced some resistance from the police At D-Chowk but managed to reach Constitution Avenue.
Before ending the peaceful sit-in, the protesters mentioned that the schools will remain closed and next week they would hold a march in which parents and students will also participate.
“Next week, we will give a decisive call. Today’s show was just to make the government realise that we will not accept this decision and an amendment has to be made to the Local Government Ordinance 2021,” said the Joint Action Committee Chairman, Fazal-i-Mola.
Protestors, holding placards and banners, raised slogans against the government and demanded the withdrawal of section 166 of Local Government Ordinance 2021, according to which the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) will be devolved to the local government and the mayor will be the reporting officer of the director-general FDE.
Protestors’ Stance on Government’s decision:
- “Thousands of teachers were on roads but the government representatives did not bother to contact us. This is enough to gauge government’s seriousness towards education,” said Federal Government Teachers’ Association President Malik Ameer Khan.
- Senior school PrincipalFarida Yasminsaid, “We will not accept this ordinance come what may. The local government completed its five-year term without funds, rules, regulations and bylaws. So, now through an ordinance educational institutions are being placed under the local government.” Adding that it was unfortunate that the government’s unreasoned decisions had forced the teachers’ community to take to the streets.
- A school teacher Shazia Khan said, “We are here for our future generation. The government is going to place our schools under the MCI. We are federal government employees and would not work under the corporation.”
Leaders of opposition parties also visited the protesters and assured them of their full support and solidarity. They included former federal minister Dr. Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, former defense minister Khawaja Asif, PPP leader Sibtul Hassan Bukhari, ex-MNA Anjum Aqeel, Mian Aslam of Jamaat-i-Islami, and others as well.
Senator Irfan Siddiqui chairman of Education took notice of the protest and decided to take up this issue in the upcoming meeting of the standing committee to be held on December 7.