KHAR: A government girls’ high school in Shamozo area of Bajaur tribal district has been lying non-functional for the last 10 years.

During a visit to the area, the residents told this correspondent that the school, the lone such institution for thousands of girls in the area, was completed in 2008, but could not be made functional as yet. Shamozo is located some 23km southeast of Khar, the district headquarters.

Malik Rahmanuddin, an elder of the area, told this correspondent that it was actually a middle school which had been upgraded to high school in 2013 after construction of several additional rooms. He disclosed that even before its upgradation the school was lying non-functional.

He claimed that the officials of then administration and education department had assured the local residents that they would ensure all the required staff and other facilities to the school within a month of completion of construction work. However, they failed to honour their commitment.

Aslam Khan, an elder, recalled that there was five teachers in the school when it was not upgraded, but they would also remain absent from duty.

The villagers said that hundreds of their girls had been deprived of further education every year after passing their grade-4 exams.

Wajid Khan, a resident, said that people of the area had approached the senior officials of education department and local lawmakers so many times, but the school could not be made functional.

When contacted, an official of the local education department, said the department had sent the list of required teachers to directorate of education, Peshawar, a few years ago, but to no avail.

Published in Dawn, October 19th, 2019