SAHIWAL: The village community, schoolteachers, students and their parents are advocating for a multipurpose hall for the Government Girls Higher Secondary School, Chak 73/5-L.

It was a high school that upgraded in 2001 with only minor improvements to its infrastructure spread over 38 kanals. The school has 1,044 girls, including 175 of Intermediate classes.

Abdur Rasheed, the village Lumberdar, said the school was originally established in 1955. When it was upgraded to higher secondary level, a few rooms were added to the old structure, but a multipurpose hall—vital for conducting co-curricular activities—was never built, he added.

A senior teacher, speaking anonymously, says due to the absence of a hall, half of the available classrooms remain occupied during the Sahiwal board’s 9th and 10th grade annual exams held twice a year.

“As the school becomes an examination centre, the administrators are forced to hold classes for senior students outdoors,” he said.

Approximately 250 to 300 students participate in these exams and the figure was confirmed by Mr Naveed, the controller of Sahiwal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE).

Reports indicate that there are 36 sanctioned teaching positions and 17 non-teaching positions at the school but 19 posts are currently vacant. This shortage adds further pressure on the administration as the teachers are forced to manage overcrowded classrooms. While the education department mandates 40 students per class, the number here remains 60 to 70 students in each class.

The school has enough land for building the hall due to its spread over 38 kanals, including five playgrounds.

Samina Iqbal, the principal, says the lack of a multipurpose hall disrupts classes, particularly during the peak study season when BISE exams are held.

“The school has sufficient land for the construction of a multipurpose hall but lacks funds,” she adds.

Atif Chaudhry, a prominent local figure, points out that schools in the area are consistently underfunded and elected representatives focus more on road construction to connect villages to markets than educational infrastructure.

A senior teacher notes that over the past two years the school received two non-salary grants of Rs154,000 and Rs274,961.

The principal says she approached the village community to raise funds but the construction of a 75x50 foot hall would require a much larger sum. The villagers had previously come together to repair the school’s boundary wall damaged in recent years.

Muhammad Ikram, CEO education, admits that the demand is genuine but the question of funds needs to be answered yet.

Published in Dawn, October 20th, 2024