Education census 2015-16: 1,036 FATA schools non-functional

692 are primary, 137 community-run and 41 mosque-based schools

SHABQADAR: There are at least 5,994 schools in the Federally-Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) and as many as 1,036 schools (611 for boys and 425 for girls) are non-functional while nine of them (five boys and four girls’ schools) have been shut down, a report compiled by the Fata education department stated on Monday.

Data regarding functional schools

The Fata education annual census report 2015-16 stated that 3,842 of the total functional schools were of primary level, and 2,219 of them catered to boys and 1,623 were girls’ primary schools.

Moreover, 118 schools were being run in mosques, while 169 (53 for boys and 116 for girls) were community-run schools.

Two governor model schools were being run by the political administration with the help of the education department of the Fata secretariat.

The report stated that 32 of these institutions were industrial home centers, 439 were middle schools (273 boys and 166 girls), 296 high schools (231 boys and 65 girls), 15 higher secondary schools (10 boys five girls) and 32 were colleges (21 boys and 11 girls).

In addition to these institutions, there were four elementary colleges (three for males and one for females) for training school teachers and also to award certificates in education to new students of Fata to get employment in Fata schools.

DATA of non-functional schools

Of the total 1,036 non-functional institutions, 692 were primary schools (418 for boys and 274 for girls), 41 mosque schools and 137 community-run primary schools (54 for boys and 83 for girls).

Moreover, 12 industrial home centers were also non-functional.

Of the total, 111 were middle schools (68 for boys and 43 for girls) 39 high schools (27 for boys and 12 for girls) one higher secondary school for boys while three colleges (two for boys and one for girls) were also non-functional.

Of the 9 closed institutions, five were primary level schools (four for boys and one for girls) while four community schools (one for boys and three for girls) are also closed.

Enrollment statistics

The overall enrolment in government institutions (from nursery schools to bachelor level) was 671,673, with 9,759 (1.45%) enrolled in mosque schools and 551,246 (82.07%) enrolled in primary schools, 18,179 (2.71 %) enrolled in middle schools, similarly 50,526 (7.52%) enrolled in high schools, while 6,648 (0.99%) were enrolled in higher secondary schools.

As many as 194,171 (2.89%) were enrolled in colleges, 394 (0.06%) in government elementary colleges, 13,577 (2.02%) in community schools, 1,112 (0.17%) in industrial home centers while 815 (0.12%) were enrolled in governor model schools.

As many as 245,322 students were studying in play groups, while 329,463 were enrolled between grade 1 and 5.

At least 52,618 are enrolled in classes between 6 and 8, and 20,910 in class 9 and 10.

Similarly, 14,822 were enrolled in higher secondary schools (between class 11 and 12), while 8,538 were enrolled in bachelors and above.

The dropout rate at primary level is 36.5% which dropped to 7.8% at middle school and further decreased to 3.1% at high school level.

In higher secondary schools, the ratio declined to 2.2% and 1.3% at bachelors’ level.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 8^th, 2016.