KP govt makes it mandatory for schoolgirls across the province to ‘cover up’ – Pakistan

The government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has decided to make it obligatory for students from government-run schools to be covered in educational institutions in the province, said the advisor to the Chief Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Ziaullah Bangash.

The order was first distributed in the Haripur district last week, where the district education officer asked all principals and principals of government schools to ensure that students wore an abaya, a robe or a chador .

"We encountered some situations during our recent visits to tribal areas and Kohistan that led us to make this decision," said Bangash. DawnNewsTV, without specifying what these situations were.

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"We have sensitive areas in the province that require security measures for children," he said, adding that the decision "is also in line with tribal values ​​and traditions of Islam."

The advisor also said: “This step has been taken particularly to eliminate the doubts raised by parents about the safety of their children.

“We have to make decisions that are in the best interest of our culture, people and the province. If such a measure can convince parents to send their daughters to school, why not move on? "

The adviser said it was important to focus on the education of children in the province. "Our approach is to educate our girls and we must take all the steps to allow this," he added.

Earlier today, the decision was enforced in Peshawar through a notification issued by District Education Officer Samina Ghani, who ordered the principals of all high schools, high schools and high schools in the district to instruct their students to that they cover themselves with a gown, abaya or chador "to protect them from any unethical incident".

Commenting on the dress code, an official from the Haripur district office of education had previously said Dawn that the decision was "necessary to protect students from an increasing number of reports of mockery and harassment."

"A good number of students have developed the habit of using dupatta or‘ half chador, "which is not enough to cover their bodies," the official added.

Former KP and MPA education minister of the Awami National Party, Sardar Hussain Babak, criticized the decision and said it will have a negative impact on educational trends.

"Making the abaya or burka mandatory through notification will have a negative impact," he said, adding that in KP many girls who go to school already use the burqa.