Teachers from government schools across Punjab ended their protest against privatisation of educational institutes after successful negotiations with a government team on Sunday.
The government bloc, in writing, assured the protesting teachers that their genuine demands would be accepted.
Earlier, teachers continued their protest for the second day on Sunday against what they called the privatisation of their schools and teachers’ alleged redundancy.
A large number of teachers from different parts of the province had gathered for a sit-in in Lahore outside the Punjab Assembly after talks with the provincial government remained unsuccessful on Saturday.
The protesters spent the night outside the assembly building and refused to end the sit-in until their demands were met.
Punjab Teachers Union (PTU) had given the call for the demonstration in which male and female teachers from the neighbouring districts participated despite hot weather and expressed strong resentment over the policies of the education department.
The teachers raised their voice against a recent policy of the education department under which public sector primary schools are proposed to be handed over to the private sector on the pretext of poor performance.
The PTU leaders had recently claimed that some schools were being privatised despite good performance, terming the move a conspiracy to jeopardise the entire system of public education in the province.
The protesting teachers chanted slogans and vowed to continue the protests until their demands are accepted, which include the upgradation of teachers.
PTU President Sajjad Akbar Kazmi who led the demonstration said Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif instead of listening to bureaucracy should listen to the real stakeholders, the teachers. He added that the gathering of hundreds of teachers was proof to the fact that there was unrest among school teachers owing to the education department’s policies.
Sajjad Kazmi, Rana Liaqat, Jam Sadiq, Ch Sarfraz, Rana Anwaar and other leaders said that the well performing schools were also being handed over to Punjab Daanish Schools and Centres of Excellence Authority despite the fact that these schools were already performing well.
Leaders of the Punjab teachers union demanded the government not to outsource the public schools.
