Govt schools in Tirah lack teachers, facilities

TIRAH: The residents of Maidan area in Tirah valley have asked the government to provide teaching staff, furniture and other necessary items to the government schools.

They said the government established dozens of schools in the Maidan area in Tirah valley two years ago, but these lacked teaching staff, furniture and other things.

A school headmaster pleading anonymity told The News that the government did not provide all the staff to the schools in Tirah. “The students cannot receive education due to the shortage of teachers in many schools in the area,” he said

He added that he and two other teachers had to teach around 400 students enrolled in his school. He said the education department could not provide books to the students as the half duration of the academic year had already passed.

Another resident, Muhammad Usman belonging to Bar Qambarkhel area in Tirah valley said that dozens of schools’ buildings were completed two years ago but these were not functional.

“Several schools in Bar Qambarkhel including Bhuttan, Narhao, Walikhel, Darbikhel and others are not functional,” he said, adding there were many dysfunctional government schools in other areas.

He maintained that many schools in the Maidan area had closed down due to shortage of teachers.

Muhammad Usman added that children from Bhuttan and Narhao areas had to cover six kilometers to go to a school in Bar Bagh.

“Around 100 government schools were destroyed in militancy and military operations in Bara sub-division,” he said, adding the destroyed schools could not be reconstructed yet.

When contacted, Deputy District Education Officer (DDEO) Khyber, Shahid Ali Afridi said the schedule for new expenditure (SNE) had been sent to the education directorate and secretariat. He added the government had recruited teaching staff but some candidates had obtained stay orders from courts.

He said the provincial government was supposed to provide books to the students in two phases, adding that one phase was complete while the second phase would start within a week.