Schools all around the world are entrusted with the responsibility of teaching children manners and instilling in them the characteristics of obeying rules, especially state rules. However, the schooling system in our beloved country Pakistan has also become a victim of social disparity that exists in our society.
The majority of the public schools here seem like ghost schools with students or teachers being absent on a consistent basis whereas, on the other hand, we have the private schools that are full in terms of students and teachers but teach nothing substantive to help them become better citizens.
The private schools here are often owned by well-connected people who have influence over local authorities to expand their school and defy the rule at their convenience. One such school that has been defying the rules is a new private school in the posh area of Defence, Karachi. This school has been able to host a multitude of extra-curricular activities ranging from fashion shows to concerts in its vicinity which is in the midst of a residential area.
The residents around the school have become helpless with the local authorities being incapable of stopping the school’s activities in any way. The school in the name of security has barred cars from being parked in front of the houses irrespective of the cars being of the guest’s coming to visit the houses nearby.
The school does not even respect the notices of the government. It stays open even on the days the government has announced a public holiday be it Shah Abdul Latif’s Urs or Begum Nusrat Bhutto’s funeral. The school may be good in imparting knowledge to its students but the regular defiance of state rules and laws does not set a good example for the children studying there.
Schools are there to play a dual role, impart knowledge and make the children better citizens, and if the school itself is defying rules, we can imagine what the children would do.
AFFAN
Karachi
