Living in fear: Terrorism is keeping teachers away from schools

Hangu district remains volatile due to militancy and sectarian violence


Our Correspondent September 14, 2015
Hangu district remains volatile due to militancy and sectarian violence. PHOTO: AFP

HANGU:


Female teachers are afraid of attending their duties in government schools of far-flung areas of Hangu district due to risk of terrorism and sectarian clashes.


This was stated by District Education Officer (DEO) Female Farzana Sardar while speaking to The Express Tribune. She added around seven government primary schools were completely shut in Hangu, while 50 were partially closed.

The DEO went on to say that these women teachers were working in a sensitive area and most of them failed to fulfil their duties due to a sense of fear. She reiterated that militancy and sectarianism were huge threats in the area. Farzana said that district also lacked a separate office for the female education department.



The DEO said they set up office in three rooms of the Army Public School building. She said it is difficult to run affairs and keep their records intact with such a confined space. She argued that the male education department had its own office, but they were deprived of such a facility.

She criticised a union council-wise recruitment of teachers, contending some of them did not have literate people and schools suffered a lack  of staff.

Sardar added teachers recruited on an ad hoc basis through the National Testing Service (NTS) were not attending their duties regularly. She said some of them were terminated for negligence, but some still received their salaries sitting at home.

The DEO revealed some teachers even refused promotion as they know they will be transferred from their recent school.

Sardar said there were 112 government girls primary schools, 13 middle and nine high schools. She revealed that seven new primary schools were under constructions, while nine primary and five middle schools were being revamped.

She said that a 50-member committee formed for the repair and construction of schools was not even attending their calls and was missing in action. The DEO said a government girls high school of the area clinched first position in the matric result for the province despite the dismal state of education.

She added the Hangu female education department was given a coaster in 2011, but it is of no use as there was no driver. The Assistant District Education Officer, Shabana, was also present on the occasion.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 14th,  2015.

 

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