12 Hangu girls’ primary schools lying close for years

DEO said that there were no qualified females in the area

Fakhurl Islam Kakakhel

About 12 Hangu girls' primary schools are lying closed for past many years.

The closed schools include Hangu Chapar, Chani Banda, Tangi Miangan, Azizabad, Shanwari Alikhel, Chapari Naryab 1 and II, Katgar, Togh Chapar, Shamsuddin, Ghalu Cheena and Yakhu Khula.

The closure of these schools has darkened the future of thousands of the girls in the area. Sectarian violence and terrorism is casting its shadows over educational future of area’s youth.

Several residents of the area including Gul Sahib Shah, Shamsur Reham, Muhammad Usman, Inam Gul and others demanded that shortage of teaching staff and other facilities were a big hurdle in the way of education.

They said that local authorities have failed to take any positive action in this regard.  In addition to this, they said that elected representatives from the area were also not interested in redressing the issue.

Some of the closed schools are lying idle to due to terrorism, dilapidated buildings while some were shut due to absence of staff.

Though the security situation has considerably improved in the area after reduction in terrorism; however, authorities did not take any steps to open these schools. In addition to this, authorities also did not bother to provide alternate schools for the area’s girls.

Government stance

On the other hand, district education officer female Hangu, Hasrat Zuhra said that female education ratio in the district was only 27pc. She said that as compared to males, female education ratio was next to nil.

Zuhra said that lack of rulers’ attention and ineffectiveness of educational institutions was to blame for dismal female education indicators of the area.

She said that funds have not have issued for the reconstruction of dilapidated school buildings. Besides, she said that some schools were closed due to unavailability of qualified local teachers, who could clear ETEA test.

She said that no local teachers preferred to resign instead of working here as there was no transport available for women.

Besides, she said that they had also talked to MOL oil and Gas Company to hire local teachers on contract for these schools; however, no progress was made in this connection.