Students at risk after PakTurk shirks security measures

Majority of schools and colleges, both public and private, are either reluctant to spend money on the security of kids or simply do not care.

It is a shame that today when Pakistan has been repeatedly touted by higher ups as being safer than it ever was before; parents worry more about a child’s safety than his grades.

The PakTurk H-8 Campus building is an example of a school management ignoring its duty towards its students. The school hosts around a thousand girl students from Montessori to A levels.

The school building, which also houses the headquarters of Pakturk, has been constructed in blatant violation of the Capital Development Authority’s (CDA) building codes.

CDA Spokesman Ramzan Sajid says that the authority had conducted a survey of all school buildings and notices were issued against violations. He said that the authority would take measures to ensure all codes of the CDA are followed by schools. He said that appropriate action would be taken against schools that have failed to abide by the directions issued to the management of schools.

It is important to note that the other two school buildings in the same vicinity, Marjan Public School and City School, have followed international practices by installing emergency staircases on the backside of the building. However, Pakturk’s management has not bothered to follow the practice.

The Pakturk management has found a novel way to overcome this shortcoming. They have labelled the staircases of the building ‘Emergency Exits’ to fulfil the requirements prescribed by government.

Contrary to international practice where emergency staircases are installed outside the buildings and kept hidden to ensure safe exit in case of an armed attack, the administration of Pakturk only re-labelled the main staircases of the building and placed red signs on both sides.

The main entry/exit, the right, and left staircases all are accessed through the main assembly ground. In case of an emergency in general, and terrorist siege in particular, all students will be sitting ducks as they will exit the building and gather in the assembly ground.

A couple of weeks ago, a fire erupted in the hostel located on the fourth floor of the building – a fact also that Principal Engin Yigit admitted to Pakistan Today.

Rather than calling a fire brigade to help extinguish the fire, the principal directed the staff and students to pour water on it. Resultantly, two employees of the school were injured and suffered burns.

During the entire operation, the much-touted Emergency Exits’ proved to be of no use when they were needed the most. An employee, on condition of anonymity, told Pakistan Today that during the evacuation, the emergency exits because there were hindrances.

When contacted, Engin Yigit failed to clarify why the CDA building codes were not followed. Talking to Pakistan Today, the principal claimed that the school building was purpose-built and the lab apparatus had been imported from Turkey.

He said that the school offered scholarships to students and send them for visits abroad. He also claimed that the meetings with authorities had been held to beef up security of the school, and a former army man had been hired as the security manager.

When asked about the recent incident of fire in the building, the principal said the ‘Emergency Exits’ had been installed. Yigin deflected questions about the main stairways being turned into emergency exits.

The chain of schools and colleges of PAKTURK Education Foundation dots across Pakistan. Founded back in 1995, the education system prides itself as one of the foremost institution imparting education to the wealthy and giving scholarships to needy but deserving students.