Camps instead of campus: Tent schools the order of the day in Shangla

Students yearn for their broken down schools to be reconstructed.

SHANGLA: Come rain or shine, around 700 students enrolled in the Faiza primary and secondary government schools of Shangla district cram into tents doubling as their classrooms.

The situation has remained the same since 2005 when the Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (Erra) razed down the structure in Faiza area of Poran. The building reportedly developed cracks in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake that killed thousands in various parts of the country. The structure, which housed both the primary and secondary sections, was destroyed with the aim of constructing a campus capable of withstanding such calamities.



According to official sources, only 111 of 204 schools that were demolished have been reconstructed. The schools in Faiza are among those awaiting some semblance of a campus.

The headmaster of Government High School (GHS) Faiza, Ubaidullah, told The Express Tribune that around 700 students were enrolled in both schools. He confirmed all of them were attending classes in tents instead of proper rooms.

Ubaidullah said winter added to the miseries of students as Shangla can get very cold. Also, classes were suspended when it rained as water seeped through the tattered tents. However, he pointed out that some students braved the elements and attended classes no matter what Mother Nature threw their way.

Fazilat, an eighth-grader at GHS Faiza, told The Express Tribune they continue to attend school at a campus lacking a building due to their hunger for education. However, bad weather remains a major stumbling block.

The student yearns for the day she can study in a comfortable environment.

Shafat, another eighth-grader, said several of her classfellows stopped studying due to the miserable conditions and demanded a school building to counter the increasing dropout rates.

Meanwhile, Ubaidullah mentioned the students were currently on holiday due to snowfall in the area and classes would resume once the weather cleared.

Retired schoolteacher Saiful Islam alleged the district administration and contractors demolished stable school buildings to make money from the reconstruction process. He claimed the structure of the schools in Faiza was completely stable, yet it was demolished.

District Planning and Development Officer Auragzeb confirmed the number of demolished schools and stated the delay in reconstruction was due to the lack of funds, adding serious steps were being taken with the help of the education department.

He said a PC-I was sent to the provincial government for GHS Faiza, GHS Shang and GHS Amnavi. He hoped a tender would be issued soon in this regard.

A local, Momin Khan, said complaints and applications of various areas were submitted, but the current and former governments neglected their requests.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 9^th, 2015.