TIMERGARA, July 17: The government schools, from primary to higher secondary level, in the district need attention of government as most of these educational institutions are short of teaching and administrative staff.

A source in education department told Dawn that 869 posts had been lying vacant for the past few years in the schools in Dir Lower. “These vacant posts include that of junior clerk to principal,” he added.

The source said that about 393 posts of different cadres had been vacant since long in 535 government schools for girls in the district.

“Eight posts of principal in BPS-19, three of principal in BPS-18, 24 of headmistress in BPS-17, four of subject specialist in BPS-18, 41 of subject specialist in BPS-17, seven of director physical education in BPS-16, 132 of SST, 30 of CT, 14 of AT, 63 DM, 20 of PET and 28 of PST were vacant in these schools,” he added.

The source said that high-ups of the education department were contacted several times to fill the vacant posts but to no avail.

Similarly, 476 posts including six of principal in BPS-19, 12 of principal in BPS-18, seven of subject specialist in BPS-18, 65 of subject specialist in PBS-17, 140 of SST in BPS-16, 17 of DPE in BPS-16, 79 of PST and 30 posts of junior clerks had been lying vacant since long in the government schools for boys.

According to a survey, conducted recently by a non-governmental organisation, 284,611 students are enrolled in 1,549 schools in the district.

The survey shows that 466 government primary schools, 26 middle schools, 11 high and one higher secondary school for boys in the district have no drinking water facility while 397 schools have no electricity, 264 lack latrines and 350 are without boundary walls.

Similarly, 215 primary schools for girls in the district need drinking water facility, 97 need electricity, 14 need latrines and nine need boundary walls.

A total of 284,611 students, both boys and girls, are enrolled in the state-run schools in Dir Lower, the survey shows.

According to it, 47,534 students are enrolled in nursery classes of the schools while the number of students both, boys and girls, in grade XII is only 1,525 that indicates a big drop out ratio in the government schools.

The survey says that 382 schools for boys and 178 for girls need major repair work.

The schools damaged completely or partially during militancy in Maidan area have not been rebuilt so far as only a few schools have been reconstructed.

Sources in education department said that some of the middle and high schools for girls had been run by two or three teachers for the last five years.

They demanded of the authorities to take notice of the situation and provide all facilities and staff to government schools in the district.