Peshawar: Post Peshawar massacre, teachers in northwest Pakistan are being given firearms training. They will also be allowed to take guns into the classroom in a bid to strengthen security.
Last month, militants of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan had attacked an Army School in Peshawar which claimed more than 150 lives, including 132 school children between eight and 18 years of age.
“Carrying firearms for every teacher is not obligatory, but all those who want to carry firearms to schools willingly will be provided with permits,” said Atif Khan, provincial education minister for the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Provincial Information Minister Mushtaq Ghani confirmed the decision.
He also said that the province was unable to provide police protection to all its government run institutions.
“The number of police in the province is not enough to guard 35,000 schools, colleges and universities—that's why we have allowed teachers to carry firearms,” Ghani said.
The teachers will be undergoing a two-day firearms course.
We are training them on gun handling and also on (the) procedure of using it,” said Mohammad Latif, a trainer at police headquarters in Peshawar.
Pakistan has already strengthened security for schools across the country.
Many people have objected to this move. Malik Khalid Khan, the president of the Private Schools Teachers Association said, “”It's not our job, our job is to teach them books.
A teacher holding a gun in the class will have very negative affect on his students”.
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