SKARDU, Nov 28: The only girls school here is facing host of problems and is literally on the verge of collapse. Due to negligence of the government and public representatives the Government Girls High School at Quaidabad is lacking basic facilities and it has become difficult for the students to continue education there.

During a visit, this scribe witnessed that the school building was not sufficient for a high school. Each class accommodates 80 students and there is no space in a classrooms to put a chair for the teacher. In some classrooms two girls were sharing one seat.

Although, it is practically a high school but officially it is still mentioned as a primary school.

Talking to Dawn, headmistress Mehreen Tahir said it was basically a primary school but in collaboration with a local NGO, Taskeen, matriculation classes were also going on for the last several years.

“The education department Baltistan has provided only eight teachers but we need more teachers, classrooms and other basic facilities including potable water,” she said, adding that the students were fetching drinking water from remote places.

Ms Tahir said over 400 girls were getting education in the school.

Describing history of the school, Prof Ghulam Hussain, chief pattern Taskeen, said that the school was established 30 years ago as a primary institution to promote women’s education in the remote area.

“In 1992, after construction of the current school building, we handed over the institution to the education department, which provided staff and accepted it as a government primary school,” he said.

He said 20 kanal lands had been donated to the school by the local people to upgrade the school but the dream could not come true. With the increasing number of girl students and insisting parents, the school administration started middle and matriculation classes at the school.