Mianwali’s female students left in the lurch

Only two SSTs in higher secondary schools across district

MIANWALI:

According to Education Department documents, Mianwali is lagging behind the rest of Punjab in terms of female literacy rate, with a figure of 36%.

Around 40 female students are present in Mianwaliwala, while 68 are in Dera Ismailwala, 20 in Dhok Pera, 14 in Amdad Khel and 12 in Zaildar Colony. There are no female teachers in schools in the aforementioned districts.

Ubaidullah Khan, a resident of Dhok Pera, said that he wants his two daughters to get an education, but there are no female teachers in school.

The situation is the same in nearby schools, he added, further stating that private schools is beyond his reach. Khan highlighted that the government should pay attention to this.

Read ‘1,000 kids drop out of schools in Mianwali’

While 298 girls are studying in Vanjari Girls Elementary School, only seven temporary teachers are active, while the children's teacher changes every month. Since 2018, no teacher has been permanently appointed at this school.

Education department officials remain unable to give an adequate explanation regarding the vacant teachers' seats at Vanjari Girls’ Elementary School.

Meanwhile, there are two subject specialist teachers for FA and FSC in higher secondary schools across the district, where a child is enrolled in FA/FSC for free. Between 16 and 17 grade teachers are posted in offices on temporary duty, but why they are not sent to higher secondary schools to teach remains unexplained.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 18^th, 2023.