February 15, 2007	Thursday	Muharram 26, 1428

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SANGHAR, Feb 14: While many government school buildings are being used as Otaqs (guest houses) by influential people in Sindh, the residents of Kheto Jatt village near Jhol have converted an Otaq into a girls’ school.

Khem Chand, Bashir Mahar, Dr Partab and other villagers told this correspondent that till last year the village lacked a girls’ school and repeated requests made to the education department to establish a girls’ school there had fallen on deaf ears.

It became possible when they contacted an NGO, Sindh Agricultural and Forestry Workers Coordinating Organisation (SAFWCO), whose representatives visited the village and promised to provide teachers if a building for the school was arranged, they said.

According to the villager, a landlord, Maula Bux Mahar, donated his Otaq for the school last year and four female teachers were provided by the SAFWCO which was also paying their salaries.

The school principal, Mehtab Sindhu, said that initially 26 girls were enrolled in the school but the strength had shot up to 86 by now.

On Wednesday, District Nazim Haji Khuda Bux Rajar with EDO (education) Niaz Ahmed Leghari visited the school on the invitation of the villagers. Impressed by the performance of the teachers and the students, the nazim announced a donation of Rs25,000 and a new building for the school.

On the other hand, more than 228 government schools, including 87 girls’ schools, are lying closed or have been converted into Otaqs in the district. Many of the remaining schools are facing the problem of low attendance of teachers or having ‘ghost’ teachers.