TAXILA: Islamkot, a small village in Hassanabdal tehsil, lacks basic facilities, such as potable water and washrooms, for its two primary schools separately catering to over 240 girls and almost 320 boys due to the apathy of the authorities concerned.

The residents of this village are mostly labourers and daily wagers who despite hectic efforts over the past several years could not get these issues resolved.

The primary school for girls in the area does not have a boundary wall after it collapsed due to rain last year. Likewise, there are no bathrooms and potable water available to as many as 240 students enrolled in this school.

Speaking about the boundary wall, ex-councillor Malik Mehfooz said over 110 feet-long boundary wall collapsed almost a year ago due to the “poor quality of construction materials” used in its construction. He claimed that due to bureaucratic hurdles, their repeated requests in this regard remained unheeded.

The boys’ school also faces similar issues. It does not have sufficient teaching staff, bathrooms, and potable water. There is only one teacher available to cater to 320 students enrolled in five classes.

Officials claim basic facilities unavailable due to shortage of funds

“A lone teacher cannot impart education to five different classes, which results in poor academic performance of the students enrolled in various classes. It is not technically possible either,” Malik Shahid Mubarak, another former councillor, told Dawn.

Deputy District Education Officer Mehar Ali recalled that a few years ago, both primary schools were merged but the decision was reversed during the last academic year. About the lone male teacher, the official claimed there was “only one male teacher available in the area” already teaching in this school.

Education Department Assistant Director Development Shahid Siddiqui said that toilets and other basic facilities were unavailable due to a shortage of funds. He added that the maintenance and repair at these schools was “the top priority of the department” and the required work would be executed without any delay once the funds were received.

District Education Authority CEO Sajida Mukhtar said the boundary wall for the primary school could not be constructed because it required a lot of money to build it. She said eight boundary walls of different schools were “damaged or collapsed” during the last academic session in union council Bhallar Joggi, adding that except for the Islamkot school, all other boundary walls had been constructed. She claimed that the wall would be built in the upcoming fiscal year.

The official said due to the topography of the school which exposes its boundary wall to inundation during deluge, the reconstruction of this 110-foot-long wall would require retaining walls up to 20 feet deep, which has escalated the cost. If built without support, the wall – already vulnerable to inundation due to its location – will pose a danger to the students.

She said the schools faced a shortage of staff because the education department failed to recruit new teachers over the past six years even though several male teachers had retired over this period. She claimed arrangements were being made to post another male teacher to the school.

Munaza Peerzada, whose organisation works in the education sector, compared these schools with those in India and said: “When the information technology and artificial intelligence is being taught in the primary schools of India, the condition of the primary schools in the country remained the same despite decades.” “This speaks volumes about our priority to address the grievances of the people living in rural areas,” the social worker added.

Published in Dawn, May 13th, 2024