HYDERABAD: School­teachers staged a rally outside the local press club on Wed­nesday in protest against handing over of four schools in Hyderabad to non-government organisations (NGOs) under the ‘adopt a school’ programme by the Sindh education department and forced transfer of teachers.

Organised by the Govern­ment Secondary Teachers Association (GSTA), the rally was addressed by an MQM MPA and leaders of the Jamaat-i-Islami, Jamaat-e-Ahle Sunnat and Sunni Tehreek (ST).

Carrying banners inscri­b­ed with slogans against handing over of school to builder mafia, the teachers were raising slogans against the move. District GSTA president Zamir Khan, divisional vice president Iqbal Jamali, Subject Specialist Associa­tion president Imtiaz Sheikh, MPA Rashid Khilji, Maulana Muhkamdin Qadri and Khalid Hassan also spoke on the occasion.

Rashid Khilji said the MQM would take up the matter in the Sindh Assembly, although it had been taken up in the house earlier.

He said it appeared as if the education department was trying to sell education. Such agreements were signed overnight by keeping people in the dark, he added.

He, however, said teachers needed to improve standard of education in schools.

Even the court of law would be moved to question this decision of the education department, he said, and urged the secretary of education to withdraw transfer orders of teachers who were sent to far-flung areas from Hyderabad for resisting the move.

Iqbal Jamali severely criticised Education Secretary Dr Fazalullah Pechuhu, saying that he was not an education friendly official, which was evident from the fact that corrupt elements were chosen for handing over the schools.

Those who were involved in fraud were being tasked with supervision of schools under adopt a school programme, he added.

Zamir Khan said teachers were fighting for people because their education institutions were being privatised, adding that an approval in the shape of a bill was needed by the assembly.

He said that so called NGOs were given charge of six schools in Hyderabad and Qasimabad alone. This decision aimed at depriving the poor of their right to education, he said and warned that the GSTA would not accept this decision.

ST leader Khalid Hassan said the education secretary was misusing his authority and demanded his removal. He said the schools were being gifted to the NGOs. He said the ST would not leave teachers alone in this fight.

Published in Dawn, March 26th, 2015

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