BAJAUR AGENCY: Expressing concerns over the absence of teachers and a lack of basic facilities, the students of Utman Khail tehsil in Narang area staged a protest and demonstration against the education department. The students of government primary school, Arang chanted slogans against the local education department, marched on the main Arang-Khar road, blocking it for several hours to vehicular traffic. The protesters claimed that the school had been functioning without staff and basic facilities for several months, however, the education department officials had remained silent over the situation. On the occasion, the students said that Arang was a backwards and hilly area, further adding that they had been unable to attend classes since the start of the new academic session because of the absence of teachers. They said that they had made a number of complaints against the absence of teachers and a lack of basic necessities in the school, however, the officials concerned were still unmoved. They complained that they had also not been given free textbooks, accusing the teachers of selling the books to students. They appealed to the officials to arrange surprise visits to the government schools situated in far-flung areas. The students warned of more protests against the education department if their demands were not addressed immediately.
