Mountainside school a picture of neglect

Dir’s flood-ravaged school awaits rehab 13 years on

DIR UPPER/QUETTA:

In 2010, a government boys’ primary school in the Dir Upper district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa was devastated by flash floods, leaving it in ruins. Despite the passage of 13 years, the Government Primary School in Barkand still awaits rehabilitation, leaving hundreds of students exposed to the harsh elements of the mountainous district.

Local residents, including Malik Jan, Malik Bahader, Khizar Bacha, Munawar Khan, Imran Gul, and others, have expressed their frustration, highlighting the dire situation faced by the school. They informed The Express Tribune that although the Al-khidmat Foundation took initiative to construct a temporary one-room structure after the floods, and one old room managed to survive, the school has remained without a proper building for over a decade.

Currently, there are only two rooms available, which is insufficient to accommodate the more than 400 students. Consequently, the children are compelled to endure the extremes of weather, sitting under the open sky during the harsh winters and scorching sun.

Read Libraries, computers not yet a school norm

Teachers conduct classes outdoors, and the lack of adequate space also hampers the staff, as the room constructed by Al-Khidmat was only meant to serve as a temporary arrangement.

Local elders have tirelessly attempted to draw attention to this pressing issue, engaging with authorities multiple times to no avail. Frustrated with the lack of progress, the elders and residents have now decided to stage a sit-in outside the education office.

The community’s plea is straightforward: additional rooms need to be constructed to augment the existing two-room building, ensuring that each class has a dedicated classroom.

Moreover, urgent measures are needed to provide proper furniture for the students, creating a conducive learning environment that aligns with their right to education.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 20^th, 2023.