Padlocked: Lack of funds force schools to close down in Swat

Future of more than a thousand students put at risk

SWAT: The future of around 1,620 students is at stake in Swat as the paucity of funds has led to the closure of schools run under the Rokhana Pakhtunkhwa Talimee Programme.

The initiative was launched during the tenure of Awami National Party government in areas where there was a lack of high schools. The programme was launched with the assistance of UK’s Department for International Development (DfID) and Rs4 billion were released to run it.

However, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-led provincial government froze these funds, which resulted in the closure of schools run under the initiative.

The programme started in 2012. An agreement was signed with the participating schools. The appropriation of funds was closely monitored and the schools were functioning smoothly.  Over 1,620 students were enrolled in about 11 schools for the 2016 session and would have received free education and appeared for their board exams in March. However, the school administration stopped receiving funds after October 2015.

Representatives of all political parties in Swat held a news conference at Swat Press Club on January 22 and decided to raise the issue with the provincial government. Participants at the news conference appealed to the provincial government to provide funds needed for the programme and resolve this issue immediately as exams are around the corner.

Javeria and Shazia, who are students of class nine, told The Express Tribune the school administrations said the PTI-led provincial government has stopped funding the programme. Therefore, students might have to opt for taking their exams as private candidates.

“Our parents cannot afford our uniforms.  How will they be able to pay for the examination?” one of the girls said.

However, Swat DC Mehmood Aslam Wazir said the programme has not been cancelled.

“There is an issue in releasing the funds and meetings are being held to resolve this glitch,” he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 28^th,  2016.