BAHAWALNAGAR: The sincerity in efforts of the authorities in providing education to the poor who make up majority of the country’s population can be judged by a visit to state-run primary schools supposed to educate under-privileged children.

These schools present a picture of neglect, which is evident from the rundown condition of some school buildings, while in some cases there are no buildings at all or served as animal pens for local influentials.

While unavailability of drinking water, boundary wall and dirty surroundings are common features of such schools, acute shortage of infrastructure such as furniture, blackboards, chalks, maps is no secret either. Training workshops for teachers on modern trends are seldom held resulting in teachers using outdated methods.

Unavailable features include drinking water, boundary wall, furniture

Bureaucratic control over affairs of the education department has misplaced priorities, as bureaucrats focus on a handful of institutions in their jurisdictions instead of improving quality of education in general, so they would not face problems in getting their children admitted in schools in a place like Bahawalnagar.

The semi-government Bahawalnagar District Public School is one of the schools being run by the bureaucracy, as the district coordination officer (DCO) is the head of board of the governors, while officers such as the executive district officer (EDO) and EDO (planning and finance) are on the board. They claim to have worked hard for the betterment of the institution.

Availability of funds has never been a problem for the institution. A new building has also been added recently. It is claimed that expenses incurred and development of the institution is carried out through self-generated income of the school, which runs in millions. It is said that to get into the good books of local administration, philanthropists and influentials also contributed to this ‘noble cause’.

On the other hand, state-run primary schools present a gloomy picture as there is no patronage. The Government Azizia Primary School, Bahadurka Sharqi – a 31-year-old institution -- is one of the victims of negligence of the authorities.

Established in 1985, the school is running without a building and classes are being held in the premises of a mosque in the adjacent Basti Noor Mahal under the open sky due to the dilapidated structure of the school building. About 150 boys and girls are enrolled here with only one teacher to conduct classes.

Niaz Ahmad, a local, said such situations of schools have exposed dual standards of the rulers. Schools in urban areas where children of government officers are enrolled are adequately facilitated and their buildings in mint condition. While in rural areas the situation is worse.

He said their repeated requests for reconstruction of buildings and provision of teachers and other missing facilities have not been heeded so far.

EDO (Education) Zahoor Ahmad Chohan said three Azizia schools had been closed in Donga Bonga due to poor enrolment and merged with a government school in Bahadurka Sharqi. This school was reestablished here last year with 150 students.

He claimed as far as missing facilities was concerned, they will be provided next year.

This state-run primary school is not the only example; more than 50pc of primary schools have been unable to grab official attention and their condition was worsening.

Published in Dawn September 13th, 2016