KARACHI: The private school mafia; not only they are charging parents with huge sums as fee; they are extremely careless when it comes to providing security and safety to the children.
Recently, an 11 year old boy died at the swimming pool of Habib Public School. This death of an innocent student in the custody of school has raised several questions on the ability of private schools to protect their students. “If such an incident can take place at the biggest banner i.e. Habib Public School, what can be expected from other schools,” a parent said.
Zeeshan Durrani father of Usman Durrani – the boy who died at Habib Public School – believes that his only son was murdered by the school. “I have known from other students and their parents that Usman drowned in the swimming pool as there was no trainer or life guard present on the pool”.
He said the swimming classes were scheduled for 11:00 AM to 01:00 PM, this the time when Usman drowned, but the school administration kept the boy in school till 03:00 PM and during this time the school administration removed the evidences of their criminal negligence.
“I was informed about the incident at around 04:00 PM, this is the time when Usman was taken to South City Hospital, where he was declared dead,” Zeeshan Durrani said.
Durrani claimed that the school management on the instructions of the Principal Ms. Shahzad tampered with the surveillance video and removed the data from the recorder. Moreover, the students were threatened and brain washed so that they could not say anything proving the criminal negligence of the Habib Public School administration.
The case is in court, and Zeeshan Durrani has vowed to fight till his last breath for the justice for his only son. “I suspect the investigations into the case are being influenced while I have been receiving harassment calls from some sitting parliamentarians,” Durrani said.
It does not stop at Habib Public School. Media and social media is flooded with reports about availability of drugs and several other anti-social activities going on at various private school including big names.
Private schools are over profiteering, they are irresponsible in taking care of children and they are tax evaders. Owners of certain private schools are also involved in money laundering and unauthorized flight of capital. The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has initiated a campaign against private schools involved in tax evasion, and recently a raid was conducted at a school owned by a media house.
To recall The Financial Monitoring Unit (FMU) of the State Bank of Pakistan has forwarded the case of Khurshid Mahmood Kasuri, Nasreen Mahmood Kasuri, Ali Mahmood Kasuri, Kasim Mahmood Kasuri and Nasir Mahmood Kasuri to Inland Revenue Intelligence & Investigation as they are suspected to be involved in unauthorized capital flight, evasion of excise duties and tax evasion by setting up offshore companies.
Kasuri family has multiple businesses but their main family business is M/s Education Services (Pvt) Limited i.e. Beaconhouse School System, The Educators.
In an earlier statement, the Islamabad Chamber of Small Traders (ICST) on Sunday said greedy businesses have hijacked the educational system which is being used to maximize profits. The majority of private schools have no intention of increasing the standard of education or improving the literacy rate as they are just focused on earnings.
A parliamentarian in January this year said on the floor of assembly that private schools mafia was doing educational terrorism.
“The private school mafia that is presently operating in major cities of Pakistan is primarily responsible for the hopeless education that our children receive,” a parent said.
What happened to Usman Durrani at Habib Public School could happen to any children, and such incidents would keep happening unless and until this monster i.e. private schools mafia is made to abide by the rules and codes of ethics.
Usman Durrani versus Habib Public School is the test case for the government. The school needs to be made an example for the entire mafia, otherwise there would be no trusting the country’s education system, judiciary and PTI government.