Nagar, occupied Gilgit-Baltistan: In a chilling demonstration of frustration and desperation, student protest have emerged in Dadimal, Nagar. Along with students, their parents also have taken to the streets to protest the dire shortage of school teachers, leaving the region’s education system in shambles. The extreme cold and snow have not deterred the determined protesters, who demand immediate action to address the ongoing crisis.
The lack of qualified teachers has prevented the commencement of middle classes, affecting the academic progress of countless students. Shockingly, those teachers appointed to address the issue find themselves posted in other schools, exacerbating the problem and leaving the students and parents in Dadimal Nagar in a state of dismay.
This alarming situation is not isolated, as recently, girl students in Ghizer also staged a protest, blocking Ghizer Road near Basin Khari Park. The common denominator in both cases is the scarcity and transfer of teachers, an issue that has persisted for decades.
The student protest in Dadimal Nagar adds to a growing list of student demonstrations against the perceived injustices in the education system. Surprisingly, since past year, students from various groups – girls, boys, school, and college students – have voiced their discontent, revealing a broader dissatisfaction with the Pakistani-imposed education system.
Earlier this year, students from Karakoram International University protested for weeks, highlighting the same critical issue of non-availability of teaching staff. The persistence of such student protest underscores the urgent need for comprehensive reforms in the education sector in occupied Gilgit-Baltistan. Clearly, in a bid to maintain control over the region, Pakistan deliberately withholds an adequate teaching staff, viewing education as a potential threat to its illegal occupation and subsequent basis of misinformation along with long promoted misconception of freedom.