ISLAMABAD: A parliamentary panel on October 17 expressed concern over the lack of basic facilities in government-run educational institutions, student safety and the exorbitant fees charged by many private schools in Islamabad. As per regulations of Private Educational Institutions Regulatory Authority (Peira), a school located in Islamabad can increase its fee by 5pc with a maximum of 8pc hike for higher performing institutions. However, due to the weak regulatory checks by Peira, parents have
Child Rights in Focus
GUJAR KHAN: A teenage student allegedly shot dead the driver of a school van at the school gate in Mandra town of Gujar Khan on October 17. Faizan Safeer, a resident of Jhaag village, reported to Mandra police that he was present at the school gate where his brother, Zeeshan Safeer, had parked his van to pick up students at about 12:15pm. According to the complainant, the suspect, also a student, came out with
Winter edges in and, like clockwork, Covid-19, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) step back into the spotlight. According to CNN, the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) expects 2025–26 peak hospitalisations from these viruses to be broadly similar to last season in the United States. Vaccines won’t block every infection, but they do make illness milder and help keep people out of hospitals. Doctors emphasise that shots blunt severity. “What I tell
KARACHI: A sessions court has handed down life imprisonment to two men in a case pertaining to a triple murder. Additional District and Sessions Judge (Central) Ghulam Abbas Memon found Tanveer and Amir guilty of killing three persons, including a nine-year-old boy, and wounding several others by opening an indiscriminate fire while they were travelling towards Sohrab Goth in 2013. The court also awarded them an additional five-year term for committing an offence under
KARACHI: The Sindh High Court has observed that the menace of drugs was increasing day-by-day and it has become a great threat to a peaceful society as well as affecting many lives especially of youngsters. Therefore, the SHC said, immediate steps were required to be taken to curb these nefarious activities as the proceeds of narcotics were largely utilised in anti-state / terrorist activities, which the country had been facing since decades. A two-judge
ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on October 16 warned of criminal cases against principals if students caught taking drugs on their school premises. IHC Justice Raja Inaam Ameen Minhas also directed the Ministry of Interior, Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) and the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Police to submit a comprehensive report detailing measures taken to curb the spread of narcotics in educational institutions, stressing the need for tangible enforcement over mere awareness campaigns. Justice
KARACHI: Sindh Education Minister Syed Sardar Ali Shah has emphasised the need for teachers to move beyond traditional methods and adopt innovative, modern approaches, saying that the adoption of best practices leads to professional excellence and enhances a teacher’s stature. He said this while addressing the ‘Best Teaching Practice Competition 2025’, organised by the Sindh Teachers Education Development Authority (STEDA) at the Scouts Headquarters Auditorium, Karachi. The event was attended by Secretary School Education
CHITRAL: In the 13th international conference on “Raising children in our times”, the educators, policymakers and health experts presented their deliberations on how the families and communities can raise healthy, empathetic and resilient children amid rapid digital and social change, in order to make the future safe and prosperous. Organised by the Professional Development Centre Chitral of the Aga Khan University Institute for Educational Development (AKU-IED) here on October 16, the conference highlighted modern
PESHAWAR: As the morning sun rises over the dusty plains of Pabbi area in Nowshera district, 13-year-old Hussain Khan tightens his grip on a worn-out shovel. His hands, calloused and far too small for the labour he performs, are not turning pages in a textbook; they are digging ditches to help repay the loan his father left behind when he passed away due to pancreatic cancer. “I wanted to be a teacher but I
The Punjab government has directed all public and private schools across the province to tighten security in the wake of recent safety concerns, according to an official notification issued by the School Education Department. In a circular sent to all chief executive officers of District Education Authorities, the department instructed schools to strictly observe safety protocols to prevent any untoward incident. The notification outlined several precautionary steps, including ensuring the proper functioning of CCTV
DERA GHAZI KHAN: In Kot Mubarak area, police claied to have recovered a kidnapped boy from the Ladi gang, bringing him home after days in captivity. Police said the gang had abducted a young boy named Muhammad Siddiq from Mouza Umrani and demanded a ransom of Rs20 million from his family. The gang had taken the child deep into the tribal mountainous area of Ladi, where they were hiding. Acting on intelligence reports, a
KHANEWAL: Police claimed to have arrested three more suspects in the case of a 10th-grade student who was shot dead by his classmate inside a classroom in Khanewal’s Sarai Sidhu area. The school shooting case has taken a new turn following key revelations during interrogation. District Police Officer (DPO) and SP Investigation Azhar Khan visited the school and examined the crime scene as part of the ongoing investigation. Meanwhile, the education department has suspended