Students forced to give up schooling due to lack of institutions

Parents worry as children fall prey to drugs

KARACHI: The provincial government’s ‘education emergency’ has failed to have any impact in Sindh’s coastal areas. School buildings constructed in Rehri Goth, Chashma Goth and Lath Basti union councils are non-functional as the education department has yet to hire teachers.

Though the buildings were constructed years ago, no students have set foot inside the institutions due to non-availability of teachers and staff. The school buildings constructed at a cost of millions of rupees are now deteriorating due to the government’s negligence.

The government constructed nearly a dozen secondary and lower secondary school buildings, but failed to hire any staff or teachers for the schools. Union Council Chashma Goth's three school buildings - Laal Abad Secondary School, Chashma Goth Secondary School and Dawood Usman Secondary School - were constructed almost 10 years ago, while the Bakhtawar Secondary School in Rehri Goth was built six years ago.



Local social activists Younus Khaskheli, Mustafa Gabol, Manzoor Mosani, among many others, told Express News that there was a school building constructed in Ibrahim Hyderi several years ago to serve as a government degree college. Unfortunately, its fate was the same as the other school buildings. However, the residents said that just this past year, the college started classes of arts and commerce, with one principal and three lecturers.

Residents complained that their children have to travel 12 kilometres to get admitted to a school in Memon Goth or six kilometres to Korangi's Sharafi Goth. This has had an adverse effect on their academics, the parents told Express News. They said that in the absence of a secondary school in their area, 13 out of 300 students get admission in ninth grade, while the rest of the students are forced to abandon education, which should be a serious concern for the Sindh government.

The local fishermen do not want their colony to be deprived of education and want the institutes to be filled with teachers and students so their children can also play a part in the betterment of society, as well as lead better lives.



The school buildings constructed at a cost of millions of rupees are now deteriorating due to the government’s negligence. PHOTO: EXPRESS

Teachers take undue advantage

Government teachers have also set an example of unfair treatment with the residents. Khaskheli mentioned that teachers of Rehri Goth, Chashma Goth and Lath Basti have shifted three lower secondary schools to their ancestral lands for their convenience.

The teachers had to come from far flung areas to conduct classes. With the joint efforts, the teachers got the lower secondary school of Chashma Goth shifted to Dadu Goth, Rehri Goth’s to Memon Goth and Lath Basti’s school to Gulshan-e-Hadeed, which has compounded the education gap in the area.

The residents have demanded the education minister and the chief minister, among other officials, to relocate the schools to their previous location.



A view of the dilapidated school. PHOTO: EXPRESS

Drug issue

Due to the lack of schools in these areas, students have become drug users. The residents said that the children sit idle at home after eighth grade as a result of which they start spending time in the wrong company. They also complained that most of the youngsters inject heroin and consume gutka. The situation is worrisome for the parents.

The local fishermen do not want their colony to be deprived of education. PHOTO: EXPRESS

Negligent government

The government primary school Sachay Dunno Para’s building in Rehri Goth was sealed eight years ago because of its poor condition. However, despite all these years, it has not been repaired again. The building, comprising two rooms, has no windows or doors while the roof has collapsed.

In the absence of a secondary school in their area, 13 out of 300 students get admission in ninth grade. PHOTO: EXPRESS

Contract renewal for teachers

Education and Literacy Minister Jam Mehtab Hussain Dahar, commenting on the absence of school teachers in the government schools in the slum of fishermen, has said that these schools were being run by the Sindh Education Foundation in cooperation with private organisations. However, he explained that the contract of these teachers had expired.

He claimed that a new agreement with the teachers will be reached soon, after which these schools will become functional once again.