Government school students and their parents in Quetta have complained that they are being forced by school teachers to buy samosas, papads and other food items.
Following the complaint of the students, the education department took notice and banned the holding of Meena Bazaar and Tuck Shop in government schools.
According to officials, a letter was written by female students of a government girls’ high school in Quetta to education department officials stating that teachers drop out of class and make samosas and then force them to buy them. Money is also taken from them in the name of the party and they are threatened if they do not pay.
Following this letter, District Education Officer Quetta Shabbir Ahmed Langu has issued a notification banning the holding of Meena Bazaar and Tuck Shop in government schools.
In the notification, the management of all the government schools in the district has been told that “Meena Bazaar and Tuck Shop are often held in girls’ schools for the preparation of which money is collected from poor and needy children which is totally illegal.” ۔ ‘
The notification said that departmental action would be taken against the school in-charge if any complaint was received regarding holding of Meena Bazaar and Tuck Shop in any school.
According to the District Education Officer, the holding of Meena Bazaar and Tuck Shop is not mentioned anywhere in the rules of the Education Department. Such illegal activities are being repeated in government schools to earn a few rupees and the goods of private companies including bangles and cosmetics are brought and sold to poor students at double the price, part of which goes out of the pocket of the school in-charge. It is vowed. ‘
He said that such activities not only ruin the teaching process but also hurt the self esteem of the poor and needy children who cannot afford it.