KARACHI, March 12: Hundreds of children belonging to the Sindh Education Foundation (SEF) schools took to the streets once again to protest the government`s lack of interest in funding the integrated education learning programme under which some 1,300 schools operate across Sindh.

The students with their teachers and school owners had come out with placards last month as well. At the time they had been told to try and be a little patient as bureaucratic processes took time, but on Tuesday they were questioning how long they would have to wait as it has been over seven months already since the SEF released any funds and what would happen after March 15.

`Yes we know that the summary of this project has been approved by the ministry of finance. But we also know that it is now lying on the chief minister`s table. It was Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah who had told the finance secretary to make the project a priority so what is going on now, we wonder. And what will happen after March 15? Is this project being forwarded for the next financial year?` said a worried stakeholder, Ibrahim Maznani from Dadu.

Ali Rehan of the Rehan Education System, an SEF school in Ilyas Goth in Landhi, said he had been funding his school from his pocket for seven months now. `I don`t think I can carry on doing it for much longer. I look at these poor children and it breaks my heart.

What will happen to them if I close down my school?` he asked.

Shaista Rehan, another SEF school owner, also said she couldn`t continue paying teachers` salaries, school building rent, etc, without SEF support. `We started these schools on a promise that we would be supported in their running by the government. There are thebooks, notebooks, school bags to pay for too.

We also haven`t been paid our salaries what to speak of paying teachers` salaries and building rent,` she provided.

Seema Mohammad Ali, a teacher at Ameen Public School, another SEF school, said they had put in a lot of work in those schools to forget about them now. `Not just the children, we first had to create awareness of education among the parents, then we turned our attention to the kids. We taught them how to comb their hair, how to dress, how to tie their shoe laces, how to speak, how to behave with elders ... getting them this far, how can we stop holding their little hands now?` she cried.

Zahid Hussain of Zahid Public School, another SEF school in Gadap Town, said: `The government only supported us for around two years. Does it think that children`s education is over in a couple of years? Can you bring up doctors and engineers in two years from scratch?` Abdul Aziz, who owns four SEF schools in Naushahro Feroze, said: `Opening one school is like closing a jail and I have four. I was so proud of contributing to society through education. What do I do now?` Little boys, some in grey striped shirts and grey trousers, some in blue check shirts and blue trousers, little girls in pink kameez and white shalwar and dupatta, or grey shalwar kameez stood under the hot sun, held up their placards. Some of the placards read: `I love my school`,`Please don`t shut my school`,`I want to go to school`.

`Let them stand here and protest,` said Gloria Caleb, an activist/journalist. `They need to learn how to fight for their rights. They cannot be passive observers to their own fate.

`You shut down your schools and you open militant powerhouses,` she continued. `Then Pakistan will have no one to blame but itself for terrorism.