DESPITE several challenges, Swat has remained a centre of education since long and even during the days when militants dominated the valley students both boys and girls managed to continue their education.

“It is my dream to get a PhD in computer science and to serve my country and its people. For the first time when I expressed my dream to my parents, they instead of forcing me to join the medical field warmly appreciated and encouraged me and hence today I am a student of BS computer science at Islamia College University Peshawar,” says Kalsoom, 19, a resident of Madyan, a far-flung area of district Swat.

She told Dawn that her society was considered a conservative one but in fact she never faced any restriction during her studies, adding that indeed her parents and other family members always supported and guided her to achieve the goals, which she set for her future.

“A day would come when her dream will take practical shape,” she said and added that it was a good experience for her that she was getting computer education in Peshawar.

Mrs Jan Begum, in charge headmistress of government girls high school Bahrain, Swat, said that it was not only the case of Kalsoom, but there were thousands of girls in district Swat, studying in different schools and collages, who had a brilliant academic record. “I think that Swat has been a centre of female education since the days it was a separate state,” she said, adding that apart from boy schools the ex-king of Swat, Mian Gul Abdul Haq Jahanzeb, also constructed girl schools across the valley during his regime.

Some of the educationists do not agree with the notion that girls in Swat have been motivated by Malala Yousafzai’s movement and they argue that Swat has always been a centre of education, especially for female students the environment was favourable even before it was merged into Pakistan.

Mrs Dilshad Begum, Swat district education officer (female), says that Swat has remained a peaceful region and a centre of education, where families send their daughters and sisters to educational institutes for getting knowledge. “I do not want to comment on Malala and her struggle, but it is a reality that the people of Swat are very educated and they wish to educate their women,” Mrs Dilshad said, adding that girls wanted to get education but unfortunately the schools lacked facilitates.

She said there was shortage of female teachers and lack of capacity at various schools in the district and added that they needed more than one thousand female teachers in the valley to fulfil the requirements set under the rationalisation policy announced by the provincial government.

To a question, she said enrollment of female students increased this year. “In year 2011-12, total enrollment was 99,477 but now in session 2012-13 the enrollment exceeded 120,000 at district level.” She added that the achievement was made possible due to the trend existing in the area since long. “Look to the past when Swat state was merged into Pakistan in 1969, most of the government officials belonged to Swat,” Mrs Dilshad said. “It was crystal clear that people of the area were not opposing female education.”

During the period of militancy, educational institutions, including girl schools, were targeted in various parts of the district, especially the schools in far-flung hilly areas were the soft target of militants. According to data received from the education department, a total of 119 girl schools were destroyed by militants in Swat, out of which 51 have now been reconstructed, 50 others are under construction while 16 are still untouched.

The untouched schools, including two middle and 14 primary schools, were situated in remote areas, said an official and added that those schools were non-functional even before the days of militancy.

Mrs Dilshad said that they had never faced any threat regarding female education, nor they received any complaint from her staff in this regard and added that people wanted to send their children to schools. “Perhaps lack of facilities in schools is compelling most of the girls to quit education. The government should provide proper facilities to educational institutions so as to achieve the goals set by the provincial government for the year 2015.”

Akhtar Ali, an educationist from Mingora, says that the ratio of female education in Swat is far better than other districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the district has been producing talented personalities in various fields since its accession to Pakistan.

He told Dawn that if government was sincere in promoting female education, not only in Swat but in all districts of the province, then it should make such a policy which could address the cultural norms and traditions of the area and also motivate the out-of-school girls to join the quest for education.