PTI govt urged to increase class space in Islamabad

FDE to expand programme to build additional classrooms

ISLAMABAD: Almost all educational institutes running under the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) are facing a shortage of classrooms, hampering the government efforts to enrol all of the out-of-school children in the city.

With the population of the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) more than doubling from just 805,235 people in 1998 to over 2.006 million in 2017, there are far fewer seats available for children in the existing educational institutions than before.

As a result, some institutions have resorted to enrolling more children than what they have space for. Therefore, the principals and teachers of Islamabad Model Schools and Colleges have demanded that the federal government either increase the number of classrooms in existing public sector educational institutions or create new institutions.

Principals have further urged the government to help increase the literacy rate in the federal capital by targeting out-of-school children for enrollment in any new classrooms that are built.

A project to set up new classrooms in the 423 schools and colleges operating under the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) was supposed to have been completed during the tenure of last government under the Prime Minister’s Education Reforms Programme, launched by deposed prime minister Nawaz Sharif in 2014. However, owing to Sharif’s ouster and the change of government in the centre led to the programme being halted.

Talking to APP, principals said that there are far too few classrooms in the educational institutions of ICT and this is proving to be a major impediment in the enrollment of additional children as per the demands of the new political administration.

They urged the government to pay special attention to the issue.

“We have taken a few steps on our own in the schools including white-wash [of the structure], renovating washrooms and planting of trees due to which several students approached us for admissions," said Sheeba Mansoor, the principal of an IMS in Sector F-10/2.

She added that the shortage of classrooms in public sector educational institutions is creating problems for parents who are unable to enrol their children even in private sector schools.

Mansoor reiterated her desire to improve the standards of education at her school to bring it at par with the private sector.

Staffers of the IMS for Girls in Korang Town said owing to an absence of funds and the ongoing financial crunch in the county, it appears difficult that schools will be able to build additional classrooms.

IMS Sector G-8/1 Principal Ayesha said that existing classrooms in the schools are not sufficient for a large number of students that seek admission there.

"We are under pressure from the students who are seeking admission but unfortunately we do not have any more classrooms to accommodate them," she stated, admitting her helplessness.

When contacted, an FDE official stated that the directorate has decided to expand the project to build additional classrooms in schools and colleges of the federal capital. He said that a project to build more classrooms in existing educational institutions will also be initiated and will help achieve their target of enrolling out-of-school children as per the new educational policy.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 7^th, 2019.