A FEW weeks ago, the roof of a classroom collapsed just as students were entering the Government Secondary School in Mubarak village in Karachi`s Keamari district. Fortunately, no lives were lost, but the collapse resulted in the complete destruction of desks, chairs and other classroom furniture.
This was not an isolated incident by any means. Only days earlier, a large chunk of the roof in another section of the building had fallen off. Once again, the students and staff were lucky enough to escape tragedy.
Suchfrequentincidents have created an atmosphere of fear and anxiety among the students and teachers alike. Despite several previous complaints and warnings, the government and its relevant agencies have failed to take any practical step to ensure everyone`s safety.
There must be a complete structural assessment and immediate repair of the whole premises. Any further negligence in this regard would have consequences that may well be cat astrophic.
There is no point in waiting for the students and teacherstorun out ofluck before the government machinery makes its mush-awaited move. Due action must be taken without any further waiting.
