Problems on repeat: One teacher for girls school in Shabqadar

Students say academic year would be wasted with any more delays in hiring

SHABQADAR: Students from Government Girls Higher Secondary School in Matta Utman Khel are demanding teachers be hired for their institution.

According to the students, the education department upgraded their school from a secondary to a higher secondary institution earlier this year. They said when they joined the school in September after passing their secondary school certificate examination the previous month, there was only one teacher there.

The students, who held a meeting with Shabqadar tehsil nazim Zafar Ali Khan on Thursday, confirmed there was only one teacher there to date. The girls told Ali if the government failed to provide more staff immediately, their first academic year will be wasted. Two academic months have already passed.



Many threatened to stop studying altogether if the government does not play its part in providing teaching staff on time.

Ali, while talking to The Express Tribune, said the school was upgraded to higher secondary status but there were no women to teach the students. He said, “We do not have enough resources to provide staff for the school.” He added a letter was written to an education official to address the issue on a priority basis.

A battle at every level

Standing Committee for Secondary Education Chairman and PTI MPA for PK-22, Charsadda-VI Arif Ahmadzai said he was aware of the lack of staff at the girls higher secondary school in Shabqadar and other such institutions.

Ahmadzai added, “I will meet the education minister soon to resolve the issue, however, most of K-P has a shortage of higher education school staff.” The MPA said, “We have appointed teachers and teaching assistants in many schools, which are short of faculty, on a two-year contract.” He made assurances that any reserved staff would be transferred to this school otherwise more teachers will be hired on a priority basis.

Ahmadzai said Shabqadar had one girls higher secondary school and college for a population of more than 0.5 million. He added the college was only launched last year in a rented building. There was no college for girls prior to 2014.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 26^th, 2015.