NewKerala.com

Key Points

Teachers and students across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are escalating their protests against controversial government decisions. The KP Professors and Lecturers Association has initiated a partial class boycott while meeting with lawmakers to voice concerns. Students from multiple districts have blocked major highways, carrying placards against education privatization. Both groups warn of expanding agitation if the government doesn't withdraw the outsourcing plan and MPhil requirement for promotions.

Key Points: KP Teachers Students Protest Education Outsourcing MPhil Degree Rule

  • Teachers suspend classes after 10 AM in partial boycott across KP colleges
  • Students block major highways including Swabi-Mardan Road and Peshawar-Bajaur Highway
  • KPPLA warns of expanding protests if government fails to reverse decisions
  • Student groups argue privatization makes education unaffordable for poor families
2 min read

Uproar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as the government accused of turning education into a business

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa teachers boycott classes, students block highways protesting college privatization and mandatory MPhil degrees for promotions.

"Education is a fundamental right, not a commodity to be sold for profit - Jamiat Talaba Islam"

Peshawar, October 7

Teachers and students across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa intensified their protests on Monday against the provincial government's decision to outsource under-enrolled colleges and to tie promotions of college lecturers to MPhil degrees and research work, as reported by Dawn.

According to Dawn, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Professors and Lecturers Association (KPPLA) held a meeting chaired by Prof Qazi Zafar Iqbal, where members unanimously decided to continue their partial class boycott until the Higher Education Department withdrew both controversial proposals.

As part of the ongoing protest, teachers in public colleges suspended classes after 10 a.m., while students staged demonstrations across multiple districts.

The KPPLA action committee announced it would soon hold a press conference to outline its future strategy and directed local units to meet lawmakers in their constituencies. Teachers intend to brief legislators on the negative implications of outsourcing colleges and the new service rules that require an MPhil degree for promotions. They also urged elected representatives to raise the matter in the provincial assembly.

The committee warned that the protest would expand if the government failed to reverse its decisions. Meanwhile, student demonstrations were reported from Charsadda, Swabi, Mardan, and Mohmand districts.

In Charsadda, students of Government Degree College, Shabqadar, blocked roads and carried placards denouncing the "privatisation of education." They asserted that the move would make higher education unaffordable for poor and middle-class students, turning it into a "business for profit."

In Swabi, hundreds of students from the Government Postgraduate College, led by the Pakhtun Students Federation, blocked the Swabi-Mardan Road for several hours. Police later intervened and assured students that their grievances would be conveyed to higher officials, as highlighted by Dawn.

In Mardan, Jamiat Talaba Islam organised a similar protest at College Chowk, where speakers condemned the provincial government's decision to hand over 55 colleges to private entities.

They argued that education is a fundamental right, not a commodity to be sold for profit. The protests also erupted in Mohmand District, where students blocked the Peshawar-Bajaur Highway to protest the abolition of the BS programme and warned of a district-wide agitation if their demands were ignored, as reported by Dawn.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
While I understand the need for quality education, making MPhil mandatory for promotions seems unfair to experienced teachers who may not have formal research degrees but are excellent educators. The focus should be on teaching quality, not just paper qualifications.
R
Rohit P
Education should never be treated as a business. We've seen how privatization affects poor students in India - fees skyrocket and quality doesn't necessarily improve. The government's primary responsibility is to provide affordable education to all citizens.
S
Sarah B
As someone who has studied in both public and private institutions, I can say that privatization often leads to commercialization without real improvement in education quality. The focus shifts from learning to profit-making. Hope the authorities reconsider their decision.
V
Vikram M
The students are absolutely right to protest. When education becomes unaffordable, it's the bright but economically weaker students who suffer the most. This creates a society where only the rich can access quality education. Very concerning trend.
M
Michael C
While I support the protest against privatization, I think requiring MPhil for promotions isn't entirely unreasonable if implemented properly with adequate support and time for existing teachers. Research does enhance teaching quality when done right.
K
Kavya N
This is heartbreaking 💔 Education is the only way out of poverty for many families. When

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