Computer labs missing in public schools

In the era of Artificial Intelligence (AI), where children in other developing nations are advancing in the field of technology and innovation, allowing their nations to compete with countries in the Global North, students in Pakistan's northern province are entirely excluded from developments in the IT sector.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has been leading the government in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa for almost a decade however, despite the party announcing education as a priority in its manifesto, millions of school children in the province remain deprived of even the most basic technological facilities, including computers with upgraded software.

Yasir Khan, a first-year student at a government higher secondary school in Peshawar revealed that although a computer lab was available in their school, the majority of the desktops were out of order.

"Only two computers are functional in our lab while the rest are out of order. In such a situation, how can the teacher explain concepts to more than 75 students in the class? Furthermore, how can all students be expected to excel in practical IT skills when they do not get the opportunity to practice on a computer?" questioned Khan.

Concurring with Khan, Shakeel Burki, a computer science teacher at a government school located in the suburbs of Peshawar revealed that not only were public schools facing a shortage of labs, but many were also lacking teachers. "Whenever we would inform the officials of the obsolete state of our computer labs, they would come for inspection but every time they would fail to fulfil their promises. Ironically, in this age of technological advancement the students in the province are still deprived of technological facilities," lamented Burki.

According to data obtained by the Express Tribune from the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Elementary and Secondary Education Department, a total of 1,482 public schools across the province are in need of computer labs, with the most severe shortage reported in Mardan, where 124 schools had no technological facilities. A district-wise analysis revealed that Peshawar, the capital of the province, lacked 75 computer labs across government high and higher secondary schools. Among other areas, 98 labs were missing in Mansehra, 96 in Lower Dir, 85 in Charsadda, 83 in Nowshera, 80 in Bannu, 75 in Haripur, 70 in D. I Khan, 70 in Swabi, 68 in Swat, 66 in Buner, 63 in Upper Dir, 56 in Lower Chitral, 50 in Kohat, 50 in Karak, 47 in Khyber, 45 in Kurram, 40 in Malakand, 40 in Shangla, 38 in Battagram, 35 in Bajor, 33 in Hangue, 30 in North Waziristan, 26 in Momand, 8 in Lower Kohistan and 6 in Kolai Palas.

Umer Orakzai, an educationist from K-P, while talking to the Express Tribune regretted that in the era of Artificial Intelligence (AI), public school students in the northern province were left behind in terms of technological skills. "Till date our government schools lack basic computer facilities. How can our students be expected to compete globally in the information technology (IT) sector, when the majority of schools either have dysfunctional labs or no labs at all?" riled Orakzai, who further informed that most teachers in public school were teaching outdated computer courses to students since they had no training in advanced technologies.

According to a report released by the Elementary and Secondary Education Department, a total of 146 posts for computer teachers are vacant across different schools in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

The correspondent tried reaching out to the Secretary and Director of Elementary and Secondary Education but apparently the officials were unwilling to comment on an issue, which concerns the future of children in the province.