KHAR: Buildings of several government-run schools in Salarzai tehsil here are in bad shape, posing threat to lives of students.

Local people told Dawn on Friday that buildings of a numbers of schools had either collapsed or could crumble anytime owing to the past floods and earthquake. They said buildings of numerous schools, which had been destroyed or damaged during militancy, were yet to be reconstructed.

The locals said the building of government primary school, Mualno Kali, suffered extensive damage during floods, adding 300 children were studying in the school while sitting in the open owing to dangerous condition of the building.

Aliyas Khan, a student of class 4, told Dawn dilapidated condition of the school had forced the students to take classes in the open.

The teachers said the two-room school had been closed for last four years owing to the bad shape of building.

The residents said bad condition of building forced them to shift their students to private schools. “A number of students have left the school, while some people have put their children away to private schools because they don’t want to put their lives in danger,” Jaladuddin Khan, an elder, said.

The local people accused the political administration and local education department of taking no interest in rebuilding the school.

The people also criticised PML-N MNA Shahabuddin Khan for his silence over the issue. They said Mr Khan had promised to rebuild the school when he became the MNA, but to no avail.

They appealed to the federal government, KP governor, additional chief secretary Fata and local administration to ensure adequate educational facilities in the region.

An official of the local education department said there were a number of government schools in Salarzai whose buildings were in bad shape.

However, he said there were no funds with the department to start repair work of the school buildings.

He said senior officials of the political administration and local legislators did not want to allocate funds for betterment of educational facilities in the region.

Published in Dawn, September 3rd, 2016