PESHAWAR: Many state-run schools in Peshawar lack basic facilities, forcing students to remain away from the educational institutions, according to a report.

The report, compiled by Alif Ailaan, presents a bleak picture of government schools in Peshawar.

Sharing details of the report with journalists at Peshawar Press Club on Thursday, Lubna Nisar, a representative of Alif Ailaan, said that during the past few years district-based reports were launched on education to point out inadequate facilities and persuade government to improve the situation.

She said that Peshawar was ranked 75th out of the 145 districts of the country according to Alif Ailaan Pakistan District Education Ranking 2016 while it was placed on14th number out of the 25 districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

“Almost 77 per cent of the total government schools in the district cater only to the primary level needs. There are 1,385 government schools out of which 1,060 are primary ones. Of the 1,385 government schools, 57 per cent are for boys while 43 per cent are for girls,” said Ms Nisar.

She said that 23 per cent of the total children aged five to 16 years were out of school. Of all the boys, 15 per cent were out of school while 35 per cent were out of school, she added.

Poverty is major cause of keeping children out of school as 42 per cent of the children belonging to the poorest families are out of school whereas only nine per cent children from the rich households are out of school. Twenty per cent of all children aged five to 16 have never been to a school.

Ms Nisar said that net enrolment rate in the schools of Peshawar at primary level was 60 per cent that dropped to 24 per cent at middle level. It was only 10 per cent at the high school level, she added.

“Net enrolment rate of girls at the primary level is 56 per cent whereas for boys it is 64 per cent,” she said. Almost 43 per cent students are enrolled in government schools while 57 per cent study in private schools.

About the quality of education in Peshawar, Ms Nisar said that 74 per cent 5th graders could not read a simple story in Urdu and 67 per cent could not read a sentence in English while 70 per cent could not do Grade-III level two digit division.

Ms Nisar said that water was not available in 20 per cent primary schools in Peshawar and 41 per cent schools did not have the facility of electricity while eight per cent schools lacked functional toilets.

She said that four per cent schools in Peshawar did not have a boundary wall and three per cent had just one classroom.

The Alif Ailaan representative said that 9,430 teachers were appointed in 1,385 government schools. In nine per cent primary schools, only one teacher was appointed, she added. “On average, at the primary level, as many as 53 students are taught by one teacher,” said Ms Nisar.

Published in Dawn, July 21st, 2017