63 girls primary schools in Peshawar lack furniture

At least two schools have no boundary walls, two lack toilets, says access to quality education report

PESHAWAR: As many as 63 girls’ primary schools in the provincial capital have insufficient furniture, said a report submitted to the high court on Thursday.

K-P Additional Advocate General Syed Sikandar Hayat Shah and primary and secondary education deputy secretary Abdul Akram submitted the report on access to quality education to the provincial top court.

A two-member bench of the Peshawar High Court comprising Justice Qasier Rashid Khan and Justice Ijaz Anwar reviewed the report.

The high court expressed displeasure over the lack of basic facilities in government-run schools and directed the provincial education department to address these issues.

The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) education department in its report has said that there are 622 girls schools in the provincial capital out of which 495 are primary, 79 middle and 18 higher secondary schools.

The court was informed that out of the 459 girls primary  schools only 396 have complete furniture while furniture could not be placed in the remaining 63 schools because of lack of space. The schools are overcrowded, the court was told.

The bench said if the education department could not accommodate these girls in schools, why they were enrolled in the first place.

The court was further informed that at least two schools lack boundary walls, and two have no toilet facilities.

The court said that the education department should first provide basic facilities to students instead of awarding them scholarships.

The bench also directed the deputy secretary to visit the schools, adding that the court could summon the education secretary if it was needed.

The court directed the education department to construct new rooms in the schools so that children could continue their education in a respectable manner. The deputy secretary was also directed to visit the schools lacking boundary walls and submit a report in this regard at the next hearing.

The PHC also took notice of the lack of science teachers, subject specialists and laboratories in schools in the merged districts and sought a detailed report within three weeks. The case was adjourned until April 17.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 6^th, 2020.