Staffer accused of torturing girl student at govt school

PESHAWAR: In the “changed” Khyber Pakhtunkhwa where tall claims are being made for promotion of education especially among girls, even ‘Khalas’ (maids) have become so powerful that they can force the young students to work for them and in case of refusal the girls get punishment.

One such incident recently took place in Government Girls Primary School Mazdorabad in Takht Bhai where, despite formal complaints to the headmistress of the school and the executive district education officer (female), the issue still remains unresolved.

On Thursday, an orphan girl in the school was badly tortured and injured when she showed reluctance to sweep the school as ‘ordered’ by the school’s Khala. The girl, who is in the fifth grade, was rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment after she was beaten up.

Adding insult to injury, when the mother of the girl went to the school to register complaint, the headmistress Shakeela insulted her instead of listening to her.

The parents alleged that the Khala had been running a tuck shop in the school instead of looking after the building.

“The girls studying in the school are not allowed to bring edible items with them to the school and they are forced to buy things from the Khala’s tuck shop,” said a student, adding,

“If anyone brings something from home for eating during the recess, it is snatched from them by the Khala, who enjoys every support of the head teacher.”

In view of growing complaints from the same school a few days back, this
correspondent called the executive district education officer Sameen Ghani for comments and she assured to look into the matter but to no avail.