Lone girls’ school struggling to survive

Mangalwar’s only higher secondary school is in need of basic necessities.


Fazal Khaliq April 17, 2011

SWAT:


In the 30,000-strong town of Mangalwar, Swat, there is only one higher secondary school for girls. And even that one is struggling to survive.


The Government Higher Secondary School for Girls in the town was among hundreds of schools destroyed by Taliban in 2008 across the valley. It was later re-built by the Pakistan Army, but the school still lacks a number of facilities needed by its 800 students. Over the past eight months, the school has not been able to establish a science laboratory or a library.

Most problems, students say, are caused because the school is still without electricity.

“The biggest problem is not having electricity. Everything else is connected to it,” Sumbal, a student of grade 10, told The Express Tribune during a visit to the school on the invitation of its students.

Lessons are disturbed and in some instances, the school is unable to arrange a lesson at all. “We haven’t had a single computer studies lesson because there is never any electricity,” says another tenth-grader Maliha Usman.

The school’s principal, Maryam, says she has launched several complaints with the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) but nothing has come out of it. “We haven’t had electricity since the day we moved in to this building,” she says. “I have repeatedly requested Wapda because we don’t have the resources to restore electricity ourselves.”

However, sub-divisional officer Nazir Ahmad absolves Wapda of all responsibility for the school’s electricity woes. “The school has an independent transformer which has developed a fault. Wapda is not bound to repair independent transformers, it is the responsibility of the education department,” he said.

The capacity of the school building is also insufficient to hold 800 students and there are over 80 students in each class. For some students, having a desk and chair in class is also a luxury.

“There aren’t enough classrooms, desks or chairs. So sometimes, we have to sit on the ground,” says Rubab, a student of the sixth grade. “It gets so congested sometimes that we can’t even write properly.”

Students interested in sports activities feel at a severe disadvantage. “Sport is essential for students but we don’t have any playground,” says Maliha.

These young girls have persevered much for their right to an education and some bitterness seems to have crept into their hearts because of constant hindrances.“During Talibanisation, the insecurity had put a stop to our education. Now, lack of facilities is a hindrance,” Sumbal says.



Published in The Express Tribune, April 17th, 2011.

COMMENTS (6)

Hamayun | 12 years ago | Reply We do not hesitate to hurl our bolts of anger at our leaders, and in all frankness, it is an out of place hope to expect anything good from the leaders. However, what surprises me and aggravates me is the community of 30,000 individuals. Obviously, there must be some affluent people there who can contribute and get the transformer repaired. Even, if each individual contributes the trifling amount of Rs. 5/- , they can collect Rs. 150,000/-, enough to buy a new transformer. The community of Manglawar has to be blamed.
Gulalai | 12 years ago | Reply Nobody is serious in the field of education in our country. these girls should go to private schools
VIEW MORE COMMENTS
Replying to X

Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.

For more information, please see our Comments FAQ