Seven government girls’ primary schools have closed in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province due to teacher shortages and security concerns….reports Asian Lite News Desk
Seven government girls’ primary schools have been shut in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province due to a shortage of teachers and security concerns, disrupting education for hundreds of students in the Bara tehsil.
Of the seven schools, four were closed because of insufficient teaching staff, while three were shut due to law and order concerns, according to local media reports citing education department documents.
Data released by the Sub-Divisional Education Office (Female), Bara, showed that 101 of the 310 sanctioned teaching posts in government primary schools in the area remain vacant. Only 209 positions have been filled. Of the 270 sanctioned non-teaching posts, 236 are currently occupied.
The four schools closed due to teacher shortages are Government Girls Primary School Tangi Nazar Khel Bargambar Khel, Government Girls Primary School Ham Kalay Tarkhuks Upper Bara, Government Girls Primary School Haji Mina Dar Khan Kalay Akakhel and Government Girls Primary School Khuga Jan Bara.
The three schools shut over security concerns are Government Girls Primary School Khwaja Kalay Tirah, Government Girls Primary School Muhammad Din Shah and Government Girls Primary School Zale Khan Tirah.
The closures have affected access to education for girls in the region, while staff shortages have also placed pressure on schools that remain operational, Pakistan’s The Express Tribune reported.
Sub-Divisional Education Officer (Female) Bara Shakeela Hussain said rising student enrolment had further aggravated the situation. Most primary schools in the sub-division have only one or two permanent female teachers, while some have around 500 students.
Hussain added that 282 local candidates had been selected against 300 female teacher positions through Parent-Teacher Councils (PTCs). They will serve until the end of the current academic session.
Thousands of schools in dilapidated condition
Meanwhile, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Elementary and Secondary Education Department has identified 4,049 government schools across the province as being in a dilapidated condition and requiring immediate reconstruction or rehabilitation.
Initial estimates suggest that PKR 16.2 billion will be needed to repair and rebuild the affected institutions. The required work includes the reconstruction and rehabilitation of 8,088 classrooms, 2,949 group latrines and 48 examination halls, according to Dawn.
The department conducted the survey following the collapse of a private school building in Peshawar’s Dir Colony in October.
The provincial government has also directed the Elementary and Secondary Education Authority (ESEA) to inspect private school buildings across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to assess their safety.
