BAJAUR: The area elders and students of government primary school for boys in Damadola village of Mamund tehsil here on Friday demanded the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government to provide furniture and other basic facilities to them as they had to sit on ground to attend classes in harsh winter conditions.

During a visit to the area, this correspondent noted that the students were sitting on ground as the school lacked furniture or mats for them. The school was established about two decades ago and currently over 400 students are enrolled there.

Talking to this scribe, a group of students said that they had no other option, but to sit on the ground to attend classes. They said that their parents and area elders had raised the issue of lack of furniture and other facilities with senior officials of the local education department, but to no avail.

They recalled that a visiting team of senior officials in November last had promised to resolve the issues in a few weeks, but failed to keep their words.

They demanded the provincial education department and district administration and local lawmakers to ensure provision of furniture and other missing facilities in the school without delay.

When contacted, an official of the local education department admitted that government primary school, Damadola, was without basic facilities, forcing hundreds of it students to sit on ground in harsh weather conditions.

He, however, said that efforts were under way to provide furniture and other facilities to the school as soon as possible. He also admitted that there were scores of other schools facing similar issues since long.

Published in Dawn, December 24th, 2022