KARACHI: Govt indifferent to plight of Baldia Town schools
By Ali Hazrat Bacha
KARACHI, Sept 11: The basic facilities at government primary schools of Baldia Town are next to nil and the authorities concerned seem least concerned to ensure provision of the same to improve the education standard.
Owing to shortage of staff and funds, the number of students in the government schools is on the decline. Though teachers admit the fact that the enrolment is on the decline, they advocate their helplessness to bring about any improvement in the absence of basic facilities. They claim that besides teaching they are overburdened with so many other tasks like preparation of electoral lists, polling and examination duties, that they are unable to improve the education standard.
In 86 government primary schools of Baldia, 140 posts of teachers have been lying vacant. There are five schools in the town where only teacher is posted. Similarly, 14 schools have two teachers and eight schools have three teachers. There are four teachers posted in eight schools, five in 16 schools, six in 10 schools, seven teachers in 10 schools, eight in three schools, nine teachers in three schools, 10 in eight schools. There is only one school in the entire town, where 11 teachers are performing their duties. It was observed that most of the schools had no teacher for the subject of Sindhi.
According to the jurisdiction of union councils, there are eight schools in UC-1, 12 in UC-2, seven in UC-3, 13 in UC-4, eight in UC-5, 12 in UC-6, 14 in UC-7 and 12 in UC-8.
As many as 49 schools are coeducation in Baldia. Besides, there are 18 primary schools for boys and 19 for girls.
Most of the school buildings are in dilapidated condition. There are four government primary schools in the town which are being run in one-room structure.
Seven schools are functioning in two-room building. There are three schools having three rooms and eight having four rooms. As many as 47 schools are being run in five-room building. Similarly, there are 17 schools, located in the town, which have more than five classrooms.
It is interesting to note that there are two government schools functioning in the same building. Both Government Girls Primary School Naval and Girls School Lassi Para have only one teacher each for around 30 students studying in five classes.
Fans, stationary and record files have already been stolen. Besides, there is neither watchman nor any peon at the schools. Water and toilet facilities are next to nil.
Similarly, there are two primary schools running in the same building at Mohammad Khan Colony. The building has five rooms where five classes of both schools are held. There are three teachers in all for 50 students.
The power supply to both schools was disconnected for the reasons best known to the authorities concerned. There is no watchman at the building. Students and teachers have to suffer owing to lack of water and toilet facilities.
The Government Boys Primary School, Lassi Para, has three teachers for 35 students studying in five classes, which are conducted in four rooms. It lacks non-teaching staff as well as water, power and toilet facilities.
The Pak English Primary School for Boys, located in Madina Colony, has six teachers. There are 187 students enrolled for whom the school has no provision for water and toilet facilities.
Similar is the situation at Boys’ Primary School, Baldia No 3, where four teachers are available for 120 students. In the absence of non-teaching staff, proper maintenance of the limited existing facilities is not possible.
In Makkah Colony, Mohammad Hussain Boys Primary School is functioning in five-room building. For 75 students, there are four teachers. However, on inquiry it was revealed that three teachers are available to the students, as one has been working somewhere else.
In Anjam Colony, Haji Qasim Girls Primary School has three rooms for 185 students. Owing to the shortage of rooms, classes are conducted in veranda. The principal said that at least three more rooms were urgently required. He said that enrolment was on the rise but it was not possible due to lack of space.
Two teachers are taking five classes in the Girls Primary School, Ittehad town. For 129 students of the school, there is neither water nor electricity. Even the furniture is insufficient.
Since the building has developed wide cracks, two rooms are not in the use. In the absence of watchman and peon, fans, grills, windows and doors have been stolen.
In Baldia Sector 4/D, the Boys Primary School, located in a five-room building, has three teachers for 83 students. In the absence of a watchman and a boundary wall, fans, a gas cylinder, wall clock, stationery and iron gate of the toilet have been stolen. The furniture of the school is also in poor condition.
In Sector C/3, the Rasheedabad Boys Elementary School has 11 teachers for 600 students studying in eight classes. The school has neither water nor toilet and electricity. The boundary wall has developed wide cracks and near to collapse. The school’s administration has already requested for posting of at least five more teachers, but the required posting is yet to be announced.
The condition of the rest of schools is also the same, where the shortage of staff and facilities is a common problem. The situation is turning worse if the authorities did not take serious steps in this regard.
