Aarif Hayat

A Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Elementary and Secondary Education department (ES&ED) department has disclosed that over 1,000 primary schools across the province do not have their own buildings.

The report dating back 2021 contains some startling revelation regarding state of the education in the province. It said that there were 35 schools operating in rented premises in the constituency of the KP Elementary and Secondary Education Minister Shahram Khan Tarakai.

In addition to this, about 410 primary schools lacked roof while 443 others were operating from donated buildings.

The education department also said that 457 schools were operating in rented premises while 314 schools have been adjusted into other schools premises.

In addition to this, 357 boys and 53 girls’ schools lacked their own premises. At primary level, 338 boys and 55 girls’ schools were operating in donated premises.

Similarly, 183 boys and 274 girls’ schools were operating from rented premises.

The district wise breakdown of the schools showed that eights schools in Lower Dir, 56 in Koalai Palas, nine in Lower Chitral, 69 in Kohistan and 36 Manshera schools have no roofs.

Similarly, 16 schools in Abbottabad, three in Bannu, 56 in Battagram, 22 in Dir Upper also lacked roof.

Besides, nine schools in Shangla, 97 Upper Kohistan and 12 in Torghar were also shelter less.

The report said that 36 primary schools of Abbottabad, 41 in Charsadda, 46 in Dera Ismail Khan and eight Karak schools were operating in rented spaces. Similarly, in Manshera 69 schools, Mardan and Nowshera 27 each and 22 schools in Peshawar were also operating from rented premises.

The report also disclosed that 52 schools in Shangla, 38 in Swat, seven in Tank and eight others in Karak had no buildings.

Anwar Zeb, a Peshawar based education reporter said that Independent Monitoring Unit setup by the Pakistan Tehrik Insaf has been rendered non-functional.

Mr Zeb said that this situation of schools despite educational emergency in the province reflected the seriousness of the provincial government.

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