ISLAMABAD: Under the Prime Minister’s Reforms Programme, 22 educational institutions in Islamabad have been made ‘model’ for all the four provinces. But in one of the ‘model’ schools, a large number of girl students are forced to sit under the open sky due to the shortage of classrooms.

The Islamabad Model School for Girls (middle) Sohan is located in the rural area of the federal capital and the government spent millions of rupees on its renovation.

However, in this ‘transformed’ school, three classes (two sections of class three and one section of nursery) are being held under the open sky.

Alishba Kanwal, 9, of class III, like her class fellows has been feeling uncomfortable while sitting in the open. “Why are we forced to get education without classrooms,” she asked, adding during the rain they have to face a lot of hardship as well as humiliation while moving from one veranda to the other.

Another student, Jaweria Darwesh, said during the summer the students have to face suffocation. “Even in these days, it’s quite difficult to sit under the sun,” she said.

Speaking to Dawn, teachers of the school said the main requirement of the institution was extra rooms but the government focused only on the renovation of the building and raising the boundary wall.

The reforms initiative was said to be the brainchild of the prime minister’s daughter, Maryam Nawaz. However, the premier is also taking a keen interest in the programme as he inaugurated two remodeled schools amid funfair recently.

Apart from the 22 educational institutions, the government also opened Montessori classes in five remodeled schools, including one in the IMCG Sohan.

Before the commencement of the Montessori class in this school, two classes used to be held under the open sky for few years. But for starting the Montessori class, the school administration had to vacate another classroom whose students have now joined the club of students without classrooms.

During a visit to the school, Dawn noted that the school building had been renovated besides the construction of the boundary wall with barbed wires and CCTV cameras over it.

While the Montessori class is well decorated, it could not attract much interest among the parents. Currently, the school has 26 students in the Montessori class against the approved 30 seats.

“There was no need for starting the Montessori class. The main issue of the school has been the shortage of classrooms. Extra classrooms should have been constructed to provide dignified sitting arrangements to all the students,” said a teacher who requested not to be named.

In the entire locality, there is no government high school for girls. Every year after passing the eighth class, a large number of girl students give up education because of the unavailability of a high school in the area.

“I agree, this is biggest challenge being faced by the people of the area, but what we can do, we even don’t have the required classrooms in the middle school,” said a teacher on the condition of anonymity. Rustam Ali, a resident of the area, said: “Instead of taking cosmetic measures, the government should have constructed extra rooms besides upgrading the school to the secondary level. He said: “Policies and projects should not be imposed rather should be carried out in accordance with the need of the people.”

Tanzela Khan, a student of class VIII, was worried about her future because she was unclear whether she would manage to convince her parents to get her enrolled in the government high school at Shakrial, which is located at a distance of about kilometres from her house.

“I belong to a poor family and my parents cannot afford the fee of a private school. Secondly, my family is very conservative about girls’ education and I don’t know what will be my future,” she said.

When contacted, Director Model Colleges Dr Tariq Masood, who is also coordinator for the Education Reforms Programme, said: “Under the programme, we have upgraded 22 educational institutions by carrying out renovation work there. Now, we are going to renovate the remaining 200 institutions.”

When asked about the students sitting outside classrooms in one of the model school, he said: “I will check the school, but after completion of the renovation of all the 422 educational institutions, we will start the construction of additional classrooms in all such institutions.”

Published in Dawn, April 22nd, 2016