SWABI, April 23: Students of various government schools here have been facing problems in getting admission to science group because of non-availability of science teachers, while admission to secondary schools has also become a difficult task, Dawn learnt here on Tuesday.

It is learnt that school heads were reluctant to give admission to all those students who had passed their eighth class exams and wanted to further their study in science group.

The teachers maintain that as per a recent decision taken by the boards of Intermediate and Secondary Education of Peshawar, Mardan and other boards of the NWFP, separate exams would be held for 9th and 10th class from next year and only those students who are studying in class 10th at present would appear in combined SSC exams.

Two students, Fahim Khan and Shahab Ali, of Bamkhel said that they had visited the Government High School Swabi four times seeking admission but on each occasion they were refused.

Similarly, a number of students in government schools in Salim Khan, Maneri Payan, Seri Maini, Bamkhel and others had been refused admission to science group, forcing most of them to chose art group.

Parents of some of the students have also approached the district Nazim and Union Council Nazimeen to pressure the school staff to give admission to their children in science group.

In various schools the posts of the science teachers had been lying vacant since long which had compelled the students to get admission to those schools where such teachers were available.

The heads of various schools said they were facing lack of facilities and in each class the number of students had reached 70/80. In government high schools most of the students of ninth and sixth class had to sit on floor due to non-availability of desks and benches.

The local education officers had visited those schools which figure high on parents list of schools to ascertain the ground realities and the problems confronting by the students.