The girls said they hired their own teacher, who they pay Rs50 per month per student. Being a student herself, however, they say she is not fully capable of teaching them. PHOTO: EXPRESS
Schoolgirls of Government Higher Secondary School Mandani blocked the main Charsadda-Malakand Road in Tangi, Charsadda on Wednesday. About a hundred in number, the girls chanted slogans against the Charsadda executive district officer (EDO) education, saying she has failed to provide educational facilities to them since over the past one year.
Speaking to the media, the girls said they hired their own teacher, who they pay Rs50 per month per student. Being a student herself, however, they say she is not fully capable of teaching them.
One of the girls, requesting anonymity, said there have been no teachers for science, mathematics or any other major subject for a long time now. The girls appeared for their secondary school exams under the Peshawar Board, but many of them were not able to pass since classes had not been held.
Keeping the road blocked for about two hours, the students demanded the EDO should come and listen to their grievances as did local political leaders who went to negotiate with them.
Our parents are poor, yet continue to buy books for us, said the girls. They said they receive no free books, even after the government has announced to provide free textbooks.
When contacted, Charsadda EDO Education Rabia Anees told The Express Tribune she has visited the school and assured the teaching staff that their grievances will be addressed. Since there is a shortage of faculty in the district, a science teacher will be temporarily posted here from a nearby primary school until arrangements are made on a permanent basis, she said.
Anees said the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government has appointed 17 new secondary school teachers in Charsadda. The appointment of 38 middle school teachers and 65 primary school teachers is under way, which will reduce pressure on schools for the time being, but is not sufficient, she added. “The government is also planning to promote existing staff to higher posts.”
There is a 130,000-strong teaching staff in K-P, falling short of 1,400, according to the education department. The provincial government has started the hiring process for these vacancies.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 15th, 2014.
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