‘Flawed’ policy mars revival of education in Tirah valley

TIRAH, Khyber Agency: Though normalcy has been returning to the remote Tirah valley of Khyber Agency gradually, the teachers as well as parents see no bright future for their children due to what they call flawed education policy.
“We were expecting some major steps towards promotion of education after 10 years of dark era of militancy in the valley. But it seems those making policies to promote education want to promote illiteracy in the area,” said the owner of a school while requesting not to be named.
Meanwhile, educationist Noor Muhammad Afridi, director of the Maidan Cadet School in Bar Qamberkhel, told The News that the militants had destroyed the schools and houses in the valley during 2013.
“Like several other schools, the Maidan Cadet School in Bar Qambarkhel was also reopened with the support of the security forces after the area was cleared of militants,” he said.
He said a senior official of the security forces persuaded private schools’ owners and teachers to cooperate with the government in promoting education in the area. Noor Muhammad added that the officer asked the private school owners not to collect fees from schoolchildren and instead the Fata Education Foundation would pay the fees.
He said the Fata Education Foundation started giving Rs80,000 per school each month. “The Maidan Cadet School in Bar Qambarkhel has 900 students and 12 teachers. We are distributing Rs80,000 among those teachers,” he added.
However, he said, some schools with 200 students and a few teachers were also getting the same amount of Rs80,000.
He said the schools having a bigger number of students and teachers needed more money. “Otherwise, we will restart the fee system in the schools,” he added.
A senior teacher, Fazal Rabbi, expressed concern over the government’s education policy.
He said the literacy rate, which was already affected by militancy, would go down further if the government did not help the schools’ management.
He said the teachers were losing interest in teaching and were searching jobs in other areas and sectors as their salaries had decreased due to the new policy.
“In Tirah valley, a daily wager is earning more money than a teacher who is paid Rs200 daily,” he claimed.
He pointed out that the Education Department had not issued the required books, tents, mats, chalks and other items to the Tirah Maidan schools so far.
Another teacher of Khyber Islamic Public School, Amin Shah, told The News that the government was not taking interest in solving problems of the tribal people concerning education, health and rehabilitation.
“I established a private school in Bar Qambarkhel area to provide an atmosphere conducive to learning and studies as most of other schools either lack teachers or other items.