Moonis Elahi flayed the Punjab government’s policies aimed at undermining the value and importance of teachers

Lahore (October 05, 2010) The trials and tribulations of Punjab’s teaching community have increased manifold since 2008. Instead of giving them their rightful respect and due dignity teachers in Punjab are being persistently harassed, humiliated and hounded by the provincial government. On World Teachers’ Day the fact that Punjab’s teaching community protested in unison against the provincial government’s highhandedness proves the deplorable handling of education sector in the country’s largest province. These views were expressed by Moonis Elahi, the senior central leader of Pakistan Muslim League in his message released at the occasion of World Teachers’ Day celebrated through out the world on October 5 to acknowledge the role of teachers in the society.

In his message, Moonis Elahi flayed the Punjab government’s policies aimed at undermining the value and importance of teachers. He said that it was on account of the hostile and anti-teacher policies of the N League government that Punjab’s literacy rate had plummeted to 50% in 2010 from a healthy 62% in 2007.

He warned that the gross mishandling of the education sector and the ill treatment being meted out to educators in the province would have highly adverse effects on the society. How are the students expected to respect and honor their teachers if the government itself is hell bent on mauling the teachers’ dignity? He asked. In his communiqué, Moonis Elahi assured his party’s complete support to the protesting teachers and demanded the provincial government to withdraw its regressive and anti-education policies and decisions including handing over government owned educational institutions to boards of governors appointed on political basis and in complete violation of rules.