LAHORE, Oct 02 (APP):Punjab Caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi paid a visit to Government Higher Secondary School Wahdat Road, here on Monday.
During inspection, he personally assessed the classrooms, interacted with the students, and scrutinized the adherence to Conjunctivitis Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
Expressing his concern, the CM emphatically directed for the rigorous enforcement of these SOPs.
Inquiring about the school’s staffing, Naqvi was dismayed to learn that for the past seven years, there had been no teachers assigned to instruct students in the 11th and 12th grades. The school, with a total enrollment of 1,650 students, only had 60 teachers available. Out of these, 35 were on election commission duty, 10 were on deputation, abroad, or on leave, leaving a mere 15 teachers to cater to the educational needs of the children.
Further inspecting the water filter plant, he expressed his dissatisfaction upon finding it encrusted with rust. He firmly rebuked the Secretary School Education and the CEO of Education, remarking that it was unacceptable for children to be exposed to contaminated water. Perturbed by the situation, he posed the question of accountability for such a serious lapse.
The students themselves conveyed their grievances to the CM, detailing how, when present, teachers were often preoccupied with their mobile phones or even dozed off during class. They lamented that despite an impending Islamiat examination, they had received no instruction in the subject. Responding to this, Chief Minister Naqvi insisted that the students must first receive adequate teaching in Islamiat before sitting for the exam.
In light of these glaring deficiencies, Chief Minister Naqvi promptly summoned Provincial Education Minister Mansoor Qadir, as well as the Secretary School and CEO Education to the school. He questioned why, in the face of a glaring teacher shortage, no efforts had been made to hire instructors on a contractual basis, underscoring that this pertained to the future prospects of the children.
Additionally, the chief minister scrutinized the condition of the wash basins and washrooms, noting with dismay that even basic amenities like soap were absent. He asked, in impassioned terms, whether such conditions were tolerable for the children.
In response to the situation, he summoned the school administration and officials from the Schools department to a meeting at his office later in the evening.
