Ever since it came to power last year, the government in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa has consistently made headlines. Sadly, none of the momentous undertakings of the incumbent politicians have benefitted the future leaders of the nation, who remain deprived of the fundamental key to success, education.
Recently, the government of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa has approved the recruitment of an additional 10,000 teachers to address their growing shortage in schools. However, teachers hired during the previous tenure of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government continue to protest, demanding permanent employment status.
In Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, and particularly in Peshawar, teachers' protests and strikes have become a frequent occurrence, not only causing significant inconvenience to the public but also disrupting valuable classroom hours for the students. As a result, parents and education experts are becoming increasingly concerned about the future of children in the province due to the ongoing educational disruptions.
Shah Nawaz Khan, an education expert, expressed his disappointment over the lack of progress in addressing the educational crisis in K-P, even though the PTI government had been in power for over a decade. "Despite years of governance, teachers are still protesting over their temporary employment status while the quality of elementary and higher education is also deteriorating rapidly," regretted Khan.
Khan further pointed out the fact that the condition of schools, particularly in rural areas, has worsened to the point where, after universities and colleges, even primary schools are now facing severe challenges. "It is a pity that the current government has failed to take significant action till date," criticized Khan.
According to sources from the Education Department, a total of 591 government schools across the province, including Peshawar and merged tribal districts, are non-functional, out of which 74 per cent or 438, are girls' schools. Furthermore, 462 of these schools have no teaching staff, 49 are awaiting merger, 40 have zero enrollment, 13 are closed due to security reasons while 13 others have neither any teachers nor any students. Additionally, 6 schools have staff who are irregular in their attendance, 5 schools are under illegal occupation while 3 schools are controlled by influential land mafias.
The worst affected areas include South Waziristan with 85 schools closed, followed by Upper Kohistan with 68, Kurram with 64, and Bannu with 38. Other regions such as Orakzai, Khyber, Kohistan, and Battagram also face significant school closures, exacerbating the challenges faced by students and parents.
Omar Orakzai, another education expert, emphasized the urgent need for a comprehensive policy roadmap to address the growing number of out-of-school children, which has now exceeded 5.5 million and is projected to reach over 10 million if the situation persists. "The government has to focus on improving both the infrastructure and the quality of learning at schools since the ongoing strikes and boycotts by teachers have severely disrupted education, leaving students as the primary victims," noted Orakzai.
According to sources from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, a total of 3,047 schools across K-P, including those in the settled and merged tribal areas, are in dire need of essential learning facilities, including furniture. Notably, South Waziristan tops the list, with 281 schools lacking furniture. Other districts like North Waziristan, Khyber, and Karak are also severely impacted. Among the list of schools lacking furniture, 1,295 schools are in settled areas and 1,752 in tribal districts, while 515 are schools for girls.
On the other hand, the correspondent made attempts to reach out to the Director of Elementary and Secondary Education and the Minister of Education for their comments on the matter; however, no response was received.
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