PESHAWAR, Nov 21: Contrary to the government’s oft-repeated claims about the setting up of 21 well-equipped colleges and three universities in the province during the past three years, facts speak otherwise.

The pathetic condition of Higher Secondary School, Wazir Bagh, exposes the standard of public sector educational institutions. “We don’t even have wall charts what to talk about the lab equipment,” said Abdul Hadi, the principal of the school where some 300 students classes are getting science education.

There were no lab equipment nor a library in the school, he said and added that despite this the students appeared in the practical examinations conducted by the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Peshawar.

The principal said the executive district education officer had released Rs5,000 for lab equipment and chemical substances last year which, he remarked, were nothing more than peanuts.

Mr Hadi pointed out that the school had a permanent librarian, four lab assistants and as many attendants, but nothing had been done to organize the science classes though each student paid Rs20 annually as the laboratory fee.

On the other hand, the office of the executive district education claimed that last year Rs68,000 were earmarked for procurement of science equipment for the Wazir Bagh school.

The Wazir Bagh school, located about 3km from the Governor’s House, is catering to the needs of a big population in a slum. The school was upgraded in 2000 with a view to meeting the growing demand of people, but it failed to improve its performance.

The province has a total of 2,076 middle schools, 1,336 high, and 196 higher secondary schools with a total enrolment of 721,103 students, both boys and girls.

The public sector schools, particularly in the Peshawar district, are in a shambles, said an official. He said the majority of the high and higher secondary schools lacks adequate furniture, teaching materials and basic facilities like classrooms, potable water, toilets, etc. Some schools have outdated lab equipment, inherited from the British era.

Officials said the government had no funds to meet the basic needs of secondary schools. The government had released Rs40 million during the current fiscal year for the maintenance and extension of schools in the province, but secondary schools did not get its share from the amount, they added.