OWING to the recent floods, many government schools have been converted into flood relief centres. The Government Boys High School Qasimabad, Hyderabad, is one of them. More than 20 families have been accommodated in this school.

The administration has provided every possible help to the affected ones. A few activists of People’s Youth Organisation (PYO) have come to school and taken over the responsibilities of taking care of the flood victims.

Soon after taking over the school, they first hoisted their party flags atop the building. Although the school administration has handed over all classrooms to the affected people, the activists argued with the school administration, asking it to hand them over the clerk’s room, too, which had all the data of students as well as teachers apart from new books for students.

When they threatened the administration that they would break open the lock if the relevant keys were not given to them, the administration had no choice but to hand over the keys. The administration, before handing over the room, shifted all the records and books to another room.

A day later, the activists broke into the other room as well without informing the administration, and when administration came to know about that incident the members of the organisation displayed aggressive behaviour and ridiculed the principal, who is a grade 19 officer, and a gentleman to the core.

The principal obviously could not do anything against them because the organisation has political backing. He informed the higher authorities, but, to my surprise, no action has been taken to date.

The education secretary has given clear instructions to all the principals to look after their respective schools to avoid any damage of furniture or building, but when it came to saving their staff from political goons, they were nowhere to be seen.

This is a story of one school which I personally witnessed. There might be many schools facing the same situation. But because no one is ready to manage the issue, no one speaks about it.

The country already suffers from illiteracy and lack of schools, and such hooliganism by a bunch of ruffians backed by some political party, will aggravate the issue.

The higher authorities should take swift action against those who are illegally taking over schools, transforming them into a hub of their political activities, and further ruining the state of education in the province. We keep talking of what might have been if things were done when the time was right. Let us do it today.

Name withheld on request
Hyderabad

Published in Dawn, October 3rd, 2022