MINGORA: The girl students of Kaho village in Bishbanr area still await reconstruction of their school, which was destroyed by Taliban in 2007.

Local people said that provincial government made tall claims about imposing education emergency in the province but it failed to rebuild more than 15 schools, which were destroyed by Taliban during 2007 and 2009 in Swat.

They said that students of those schools attended classes either inside the destroyed building or in the open.

Of 94 schools destroyed by Taliban in the district, 79 have been rebuilt

The destroyed schools, which still await reconstruction, include government higher secondary school Manglawar, government girls primary school Kaho, government girls primary school Gut, government girls primary school Jabar Gut, government girls primary school Chinawat, government girls primary school Menz Gut, government girls primary school Sar, government girls primary school Sardarey, government girls primary school Zarrey, government girls primary school Zilkarin, government girls primary school Bela Gut, government girls primary school Swatey, government girls primary school Asharbanr, government girls primary school Charai Lalko and government girls primary school Pandarkot.

According to record of education office, of 94 schools for girls destroyed by Taliban, 79 were reconstructed.

Mohammad Azam, planning and development officer in male education office, 79 boy schools were destroyed by Taliban in Swat of which 76 were reconstructed and two were being rebuilt.

The students of school in Kaho said that they studied in a building that had not a roof, furniture and other facilities. “We love education and want to study but government is not serious in providing us education,” said Laleen Bibi, a student of the school.

Abdul Basir, father of a student, said that neither the previous nor the present government took steps to reconstruct the school. “There were more 50 students in this school but the number decreased to 20 after destruction of the school,” he told Dawn.

He said that officials in Provincial Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Settlement Authority (PaRRSA) refused to reconstruct the school as according to them it was difficult to take building material to the site.

Mr Basir said that the school was constructed in 1980 when there was no road in the area. “Now there is a proper road from Taligram to Bishbanr. Kaho village is only three kilometres away from Bishbanr. It is strange that 27 years ago building material could be brought to the site but now government and PaRRSA are unable to do so,” he said.

However, PaRRSA programe manager Sajid Imran said that only the Authority was not involved in selection and validation of school for reconstruction.

“There is a proper team having members from USAID, education department and locals for selection the site so it is incorrect to blame PaRRSA for refusing to reconstruct the school,” he told Dawn.

The teachers of the school said that all kinds of funds and facilities, announced by the government, were also not given to the school.

MPA Azizullah Gran, when contacted, said that many schools in the area had very few students so there was no need for a school. “In many hilly areas the number of girl students is as low as 20 and there are other schools located just few kilometres away. So they can go to other schools,” he told Dawn. He added that he was making efforts to reconstruct the schools and construct new schools.

Published in Dawn, April 19th, 2017