MARDAN: Students of the Government High School for Girls Takkar have complained they’ve been stressed out for nine months due to the demolition of their educational institution’s old structure for reconstruction.

The building was reportedly put up before the independence of Pakistan.

Child rights activist Imran Takkar told Dawn that around 600 students of the girls school were first shifted to the Government School for Boys in May 2015, where they attended classes in the second shift.

He said the students were later shifted to the Government Primary School Takkar after their parents complained the boys school was surrounded by agricultural fields and therefore, their daughters were vulnerable.

The primary school already had 200 students along just 12 staff members.

The child rights activist said the primary school didn’t have enough space to accommodate over 800 students enrolled in primary and high school classes.

He regretted the reconstruction of the demolished girls school had yet to get underway.

Former Takkar union council nazim Mohammad Ayub said the primary school had only eight rooms, where more than 800 students sat.

He called for the construction of ‘shelter rooms’ on the premises.

A teacher said the primary school was short of space for staff members and office record.

She complained there was no supply of clean drinking water to the premises.

A ninth grader said most of her classmates left the school after facing problems, especially absence of proper sitting arrangement.

She said she didn’t concentrate on lectures in overcrowded and noisy classrooms.

Youth councillor Farhan Khan said students struggled to give students the adequate attention and ensure they learn and submit work on time.

He said parents were worried about the future of their children.

“The school management has accommodated more than 70 girls in a class, which is too big a number for a teacher to teach,” he said.

The councillor urged the relevant authorities to take necessary measures without delay to ease the students’ misery.

Published in Dawn, January 23rd, 2015