Seven government girls' primary schools remain closed in Bara due to a shortage of teachers, while teaching activities in other schools are also being affected by vacant positions. A total of 101 teaching and 34 non-teaching posts are vacant in the tehsil.

Meanwhile, around 24,500 female students are enrolled in government girls' primary schools across the tehsil. To address their educational needs, the Education Department has selected 282 female teachers through Parent-Teacher Councils (PTCs) and has also submitted a request for the recruitment of 333 more teachers.

According to data available with the Sub-Divisional Education Office (Female), Bara, out of 310 sanctioned teaching posts in government primary schools across the tehsil, 209 are filled while 101 remain vacant. Similarly, of the 270 sanctioned non-teaching positions, 236 are occupied and 34 are vacant.

Documents show that out of 145 sanctioned Primary School Teacher (PST) positions, 81 are filled while 64 remain vacant. Similarly, 106 of the 143 Primary School Head Teacher (PSHT) positions are filled, while 37 are vacant. All 22 sanctioned Trained Teacher (TT) positions are occupied.

Among non-teaching staff, 142 of the 143 watchman positions are filled, leaving one vacant. Meanwhile, 94 of the 127 Class-IV caretaker positions are filled, while 33 remain vacant.

According to Education Department documents, seven out of 142 government girls' primary schools in Bara are currently closed. Four schools have been shut down due to the unavailability of teachers, while three others remain closed because of law and order concerns.

The schools closed due to a shortage of teachers include Government Girls Primary School Haji Meena Dar Khan Kalay in Akakhel, Government Girls Primary School Tangi Nazar Khel in Bar Qambar Khel, Government Girls Primary School Ham Kalay in Tarkhoks, Upper Bara, and Government Girls Primary School Khoga Jan in Bara.

Similarly, Government Girls Primary School Zalay Khan in Tirah, Government Girls Primary School Muhammad Din Shah, and Government Girls Primary School Khwaja Kalay in Tirah remain closed due to security concerns.

The closure of these schools has disrupted education for local girls, while teaching difficulties persist in operational schools due to the shortage of staff.

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Speaking to TNN, Sub-Divisional Education Officer (Female) Bara Shakeela Hussain said the shortage of teachers had become more serious due to increasing student enrolment in primary schools.

She said most primary schools in the Bara subdivision have only one or two permanent female teachers, while enrolment in some schools has reached as many as 500 students, making it difficult to manage teaching activities.

Shakeela Hussain said 282 local candidates had been selected through PTCs against 300 female teacher positions. These teachers will serve until the end of the current academic session. Their appointment has also contributed to an increase in girls' enrolment in schools.

She said permanent recruitment through the Educational Testing and Evaluation Agency (ETEA) was necessary to address the shortage of teachers on a long-term basis. She added that a request had also been submitted for the recruitment of another 333 PTC teachers.

According to her, around 24,500 female students are currently enrolled in government girls' primary schools in Bara, while the admission process will continue until December.

Besides the shortage of teachers, female teachers and parents of students also face difficulties accessing the Education Department's office.

The Sub-Divisional Education Office (Female) is temporarily operating from the Bara Tehsil Building. Local elders and parents say the same building also houses the district administration, a sub-jail and police offices, making it difficult for female teachers and parents to visit the office.

They added that the office consists of only one room and does not have a washroom facility for women.

Local elders and parents have urged the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governor to shift the Sub-Divisional Education Office (Female) from the Tehsil Building to the Municipal Building in Bara to facilitate female teachers and parents of schoolgirls.

The shortage of teachers is not limited to Bara, as government schools in other parts of Khyber district are also facing similar challenges.

According to Education Department data, Khyber district has a total of 747 government schools, including 406 boys' schools and 341 girls' schools. These comprise 588 primary, 87 middle, 51 high, six higher secondary and six Directorate of Schools for Special (DSS) schools.

A total of 1,149 female and 1,586 male teachers are serving across the district. However, 25 government primary schools have only one teacher each. These include 16 schools in Bara, seven in Landi Kotal and two in Jamrud.

Of these 25 single-teacher schools, seven are boys' schools and 18 are girls' schools. In Bara, three boys' schools and 13 girls' schools are being run by a single teacher. Similarly, one boys' school and one girls' school in Jamrud, along with three boys' schools and four girls' schools in Landi Kotal, have only one teacher each.

Education experts say filling vacant teaching positions, reopening closed schools and ensuring permanent appointments of teaching staff are essential to improving the quality of education in government schools.

They expect the relevant authorities to take effective measures and present a clear strategy to address the issue.