School-going children returned to heavily guarded alma maters after their month-long winter break. Upping the ante on security was the only choice left to educational institutes in the wake of the December 16 tragedy. Security provisions had furthermore been made mandatory by the government as a strategic move against the Taliban.
“The number of security guards has more than doubled. A lot of cement bags have been placed at various points for security. Our teacher also gave us an emergency drill and showed us how to escape in case of an emergency. We have all been told that there is a threat of an attack. I am a bit frightened,” said Asad Munir, a student of A-levels at Beaconhouse School System.
The security is not the only thing that students find different about their schools.
Hamza Farooq, a student of grade six, from the same school observed that the environment itself has changed.
“There was no morning assembly and the school is only going to be allowing authorised people to pick students from the school. I am not scared and I think all these steps are important for our security,” he said.
Winter vacations had earlier been extended after the attack on APS Peshawar. The threat of a similar attack loomed over everyone’s heads and it seemed easier to keep schools closed and develop a plan to thwart future attacks first.
The government issued strict directions to all educational institutions to take elaborate security measures post December 16. During the month-long break, education institutes, both public and private, have been busy equipping themselves with the necessary personnel and equipment to make their premises more secure. The height of boundary walls has been increased, whereas barbed wire has also been installed on the walls. Moreover, metal detectors and CCTV cameras have been installed on the premises as well.
PARENTS IN TWO MINDS:
Despite the augmented security at schools parents are still fearful for their children.
“I still don’t trust the security situation in schools and have not sent my child to school today. Now the schools have been directed to have armed security guards on every floor. As a parent I can’t leave my child in that kind of an environment,” said Ahsan Riaz, who has a school-going daughter.
“Looking at the incidents of child abuse, how will the school, or anyone for that matter, guarantee that my child will remain safe?” he asked.
Dr Zaidan Idrees Chaudhry from the Institute of Psychiatry at Benazir Bhutto Hospital, Rawalpindi said that children are very malleable and take things as the matter of fact. “There are chances that they would not even think of it [beefed up security at their school] as a big difference. But, naturally, they will ask a lot of questions about the prolonged vacations and this entire change in their environment,” he said. “Unfortunately, after adults, it now the children are now being desensitized towards violence,” he added.
On the subject of child abuse he said that the problem lies with the fact that children are not made aware of what child abuse is. That is precisely why they do not know that it is happening when it does happen. “Detailed scrutiny of the security guards needs to be ensured. Their background information should be verified before they are appointed inside schools with so many kids,” he asserted.
The other side of the coin:
While students, and their parents, struggle with the changes that come with beefed up security at schools, there are some that have a very different dilemma to deal with.
Three private schools in Allama Iqbal Town and one in Gulberg were closed by the city administration because of a lack of proper security arrangements.
Al Najaf Ideal High School, Defence Girls Degree College, and the junior section of the Divisional Public School, were also forcibly closed by authorities for the same reason.
Even the prestigious Aitchison was not up to the mark when it comes to security.
Upon his visit, Punjab Governor Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar found the situation to be highly disappointing since there were no adequate security arrangements in place. Aitchison was closed and it will reopen on January 19.
Schools, it seems, are not really taking security that seriously. Some are yet to implement complete security detailing, while several others never bothered enhancing their boundary walls. There is also the issue of some schools converting existing staff into security guards instead of hiring new personnel for the job. Handing over arms to untrained staff can prove fateful.
“The principals of all schools have been asked to inspect each classroom and the lab every morning to ensure that there is no bomb in the premises. Many have handed over a gun to the lab attendant and tasked him with the security duty. Others have asked gardeners and peons to act as guards. All these efforts seem fruitless now,” a principal at a government school told Pakistan Today on the condition of anonymity.
Moreover, Christian missionary schools have been further directed to verify records pertaining to their security guards because these institutions face a higher security risk.
It is also important to note that schools may not be equipped or have the expertise to deal with the security requirements.
Shakeel Naz, who runs a private school in Gulberg, was critical of the extensive security detail demanded by the police.
“They want armed men guarding the premises and they want guards on each floor as well. We cannot guarantee that the security guards we have hired have clean character and proper training. We run schools and don’t have time or expertise to check this,” he said.
Secretary School Education Abdul Jabbar Shaheen was not available for a comment.
the taliban was created to control afganistan and jihadists to terrorise Indian Kashmir.
Today, these same assets have split into various factions and attacking the very hand that fed them ( pak establishment).
The one and only way to stop these killers, is to join hands with India, afganistan and jointly finish them.
no more good and bad taliban.
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