LAYYAH: Five girls schools in the district have been closed for quite some time, depriving hundreds of girls of education here.

During a survey conducted by Dawn in three union councils — two in Layyah tehsil and one in Choubara tehsil, five primary schools for girls were found closed. They were located in Bairon Riazwala, Angura goat farm of Khairywala Union Council of Choubara tehsil, Azizabad, Dera Hafiz Poodniwala of 164 TDA Union Council and Bairon Mirhan Riazwala of Mirhan Union Council, Layyah tehsil.

The schools in Bairon Riazwala, Azizabad and Dera Hafiz Poodniwala had been established at outhouses of politically influential locals, a fourth at the government Angura goat and sheep breeding farm for children of its employees and officials as well as girls of adjacent localities. All these schools had not been reopened after summer vacation as they had just one teacher each who was also transferred by education authorities.

The Girls Primary School, Azizabad, had been established in 2012 to oblige an influential local landlord Abdul Aziz. In the beginning, there were 27 students in different classes. However, after the summer vacation of 2013, the school’s sole teacher did not return and by the time a new teacher, Sonia Syed, was appointed in October, only five students remained in the school. Sonia was also transferred under the re-allocation of teaching staff policy in August this year and the school had been closed since then.

The Government Girls Primary School, Dera Hafiz Poodniwala, established in 2002, attracted dozens of students form adjacent localities. Records show as many as 61 students enrolled in the school before summer vacation of 2013 but the sole teacher there was transferred and the school was closed as students started dropping out due to unavailability of a teacher.

The Government Girls School, Bairon Mirhan Riazwala, located in Mirhan Union Council of Layyah tehsil had been established in 1999 at the outhouse of Mehr Riaz, a local landlord. According to records, 20 students had been enrolled in different classes but when teacher Razia Nawab retired in September this year and no substitute teacher was appointed by the education authorities, the school was closed down.

The Punjab government had launched a scheme to build schools in the district. Provincial lawmakers from the ruling party asked their influential local supporters to give them land for the purpose. The landlords saw this as an opportunity and offered land in exchange for jobs for their children and other relatives.

The land was donated at outhouses in far-off areas due to which parents were hesitant to send their children, resulting in poor enrollment. The teaching staff posted in these schools would get transferred on political pressure and some took maternity leaves. Education authorities failed to provide substitute teachers and consequently the schools were closed.

The Government Girls Primary School No 2 in Angura farm was established in 1996 for children of the farm employees.

This school was closed due to zero enrollment.

“We indicated to the education authorities to use this school in Angura farm for children of flood-affected families of Jhang district, but they did not do anything,” said Syed Niaz Ahmad Shah of Alif Ailan Organisation.

The Government Girls Primary School of Sheroowala situated in Khairywala Union Council of Choubara tehsil had been established in 2011 at the outhouse of another local landlord. Initially, it had 42 students and Jaweria Rasheed was posted there as its sole teacher but due to her alleged perpetual absence the school was closed down.

Shah said dropout rate of students was higher in Layyah than in the neighboring district, which was alarming. But education authorities, parents or civil society were not paying any attention to this issue. One of the reasons of the dropout was absence of teachers, he added.

When contacted, the executive district officer (education) admitted some schools were closed as their teachers took maternity leave or were transferred to other schools.

“Now I’m posting teachers at all these closed schools to make them operational again. There is a shortage of teaching staff in the district education department, which was also adding to the problem,” he added.

Published in Dawn, October 27th, 2014