SAHIWAL: Local residents, enrolled students and teachers of village 58/5-L in Sahiwal tehsil have demanded upgrade of the Government Girls Elementary School to a high school.

Up to 243 girls are enrolled in this school, established in 1962 and located in rural Union Council No 17. This council encompasses eight villages with a combined population of over 35,000, and the village of 58/5-L itself has more than 7,000 residents.

The surrounding villages served by this school include 51/5-L, 49/5-L, 59/5-L, and 48/5-L, along with several others that feed into the school.

Currently, there is no high school for girls in the entire union council.

Jahanzeb, local social and political activist, said that after completing elementary education up to grade 8, girls have to travel six to seven kilometres to pursue their matriculation degree.

Many rural parents hesitate to send their daughters such distances due to inadequate public transportation and safety concerns.

“As a result, more than 50 per cent of girls are left with only a middle school certificate,” he claimed.

Three senior students — Misbah, Zainab, and Shanzay — expressed their desire to enrol in matriculation and higher education but feel their opportunities end at the middle school level.

They mentioned that girls’ mobility to far-off places is a major concern for their families.

Riaz, village lumberdar, said villagers had repeatedly petitioned and filed written applications to elected representatives from the PML-N for the school’s upgrade, but their requests have not been addressed.

Dawn has seen various applications submitted to the Secretary of School Education and the former Education Minister, as well as to Pir Imran Shah, a four-time consecutive MNA of the area, all signed by the village community, advocating for the school’s upgradation. However, no concrete action has been taken.

A senior female teacher from the school said the school occupies a 17-kanal area, divided into two parts. The existing building, which has five rooms, is situated on eight kanals, while an additional eight-kanal plot remains vacant, where an upgraded school building could be constructed.

She stated that the current space was insufficient for 243 students, forcing most classes to be held in the school’s verandas and courtyard.

Currently, the school employs 14 teachers, including a headmistress, along with four non-teaching staff members.

Muhammad Ikram, education CEO, informed Dawn that he recently submitted a list of 100 schools for potential upgradation in district Sahiwal. However, sources say that the school in village 58/5-L is not included on that list.

“The department will conduct a feasibility study before considering any school for upgradation,” the CEO added.

Last year, over 12 schools in Chichawatni tehsil were upgraded, with fifty per cent of them being girls’ schools.

Published in Dawn, September 29th, 2024