Over 70pc Karachi schools lack basic facilities

KARACHI: As many as over 60-70 per cent schools are set up in small and dark private houses in the city, lacking the basic facilities of playground, canteen, library, drinking water facility, laboratories, auditorium and even well-lit proper size class rooms.

Most of these schools are established in 80 yard houses with an average class room size of 6x8 feet. While the closed and cloistered class room space is barely sufficient for 15 students, often they are stuffed with 40-50 students. The children

are forced to study in these unhealthy conditions and in classes which are very small and do not even have proper air flow, but despite their plight the Sindh government’s education department is oblivious and completely ignorant of the issue. These requirements are mandatory, under II K, section 15 of the Sindh government ordinance 2001, for their registration.

Besides, there are dozens of such schools scattered around the city that are not even registered with the education department. When the issue was raised with Registrar, Private Institutions, Rafia Javed, she said if the registration of such schools are cancelled it would deprive thousands of children from education. However, the school managements are warned to improve the conditions, she claimed.