September 07, 2007	Friday	Sha'aban 24, 1428

LANDI KOTAL (Khyber Agency), Sept 6: Government-run primary schools in the remote valley of Tirah have been operating without adequate teaching staff and other basic facilities for the last several years, it is learnt.

Noor Zahir, a resident of Tangu village in Tirah told Dawn on Thursday that his family had donated two kanals of his agricultural land for the construction of a primary school in 2003 at which a two-room building was constructed in 2004.

The education department provided staff for the school in 2006 but only after repeated requests and applications, he said.

He said that since there was no other educational institution within a 20km radius, nearly 400 students were enrolled at the Tangu school that had only two teachers. He added that almost all students sat on the floor since no furniture or even rugs had been provided.

He alleged that the teachers were irregular in attendance since they came all the way from Jamrud, located some 70km away from Tangu. He called for the appointment of local teachers at the school.

There has been no electricity or water since the school started functioning, he said. Mr Noor and his father Zabit Khan demanded additional rooms to accommodate the increasing number of students and the upgradation of the school to middle level.

Ahmad Khan Killi, resident of Sur Kas, complained that the condition of the only middle school in their locality was also not any better as it was also operating without a proper teaching staff, furniture and other facilities.

Meanwhile, students of the Government Primary School Sheikhmal Khel called for the construction of a boundary wall around their school that had been washed away by flood waters on June 28. Students said they had lodged complaints with officials of the departments concerned but to no avail.