Overlooked: Already neglected, govt schools now face closure
Nearly 41 schools threatened due to non-payment of rent.
SWAT:
The earthquake, floods, and the Taliban insurgency have severely affected education in Swat.
The region, which once had a high literacy rate, took a severe blow after militants destroyed hundreds of schools in the valley, most of which were built during the years of Miangul Abdul Haq Jahanzeb - the last wali (ruler) of Swat - between 1949 and 1969.
Despite all this, children continued to study in tents, while rented buildings were hired after the provincial government assured the payment of rent for buildings hired for educational purposes.
However, the rent for 41 buildings has not been paid by the government, due to which these schools are on the verge of closing.
The building owners have threatened to shut down the schools if their rents were not paid. “Every head teacher has signed an agreement with the owners regarding the monthly rent and we are faced with a serious issue of non-payment. The building owners come to us every day asking for the rent,” said the head teacher of Government Boys High School Ningolai.
“The owner of the building will not let me go even when the school building is rebuilt and we shift there because he will demand the unpaid rent,” he said, adding that the non-payment issue was damaging the education department’s image.
The issue has also created problems for girls’ schools, due to which some of them had to shut down for a while.
“One morning, when we came to school, the door was closed by the owner, who was demanding rent. The school remained closed for ten days and all educational activities were suspended,” said the headmistress of Government Girls Middle School Nigolai (GGMSN).
“We appeal to the authorities to pay the building owners so that educational activities, which have already suffered a great deal, can go on smoothly,” she added.
It has been observed that some schools have put the burden of the rent on students by charging fees directly from them, causing a rapid decrease in enrolment.
“Nearly 20 students have left our school as they cannot afford to pay the fee. The majority of students in government schools come from poor families and are unable to pay the school fee,” said Neelum, a student at GGSMN.
According to a district education department official who wished not to be named, the case has been forwarded to the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Directorate of Education. He hoped that funds would be released soon, which would solve the problem.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 25th, 2011.
The earthquake, floods, and the Taliban insurgency have severely affected education in Swat.
The region, which once had a high literacy rate, took a severe blow after militants destroyed hundreds of schools in the valley, most of which were built during the years of Miangul Abdul Haq Jahanzeb - the last wali (ruler) of Swat - between 1949 and 1969.
Despite all this, children continued to study in tents, while rented buildings were hired after the provincial government assured the payment of rent for buildings hired for educational purposes.
However, the rent for 41 buildings has not been paid by the government, due to which these schools are on the verge of closing.
The building owners have threatened to shut down the schools if their rents were not paid. “Every head teacher has signed an agreement with the owners regarding the monthly rent and we are faced with a serious issue of non-payment. The building owners come to us every day asking for the rent,” said the head teacher of Government Boys High School Ningolai.
“The owner of the building will not let me go even when the school building is rebuilt and we shift there because he will demand the unpaid rent,” he said, adding that the non-payment issue was damaging the education department’s image.
The issue has also created problems for girls’ schools, due to which some of them had to shut down for a while.
“One morning, when we came to school, the door was closed by the owner, who was demanding rent. The school remained closed for ten days and all educational activities were suspended,” said the headmistress of Government Girls Middle School Nigolai (GGMSN).
“We appeal to the authorities to pay the building owners so that educational activities, which have already suffered a great deal, can go on smoothly,” she added.
It has been observed that some schools have put the burden of the rent on students by charging fees directly from them, causing a rapid decrease in enrolment.
“Nearly 20 students have left our school as they cannot afford to pay the fee. The majority of students in government schools come from poor families and are unable to pay the school fee,” said Neelum, a student at GGSMN.
According to a district education department official who wished not to be named, the case has been forwarded to the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Directorate of Education. He hoped that funds would be released soon, which would solve the problem.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 25th, 2011.