SCHOOLS in rural areas often lack amenities, but the Ghari village of Mehar tehsil in Dadu district is an exception in the sense that the village does not have a single properly constructed girls’ school. The site designated for girls’ middle school, after having been under construction for long, is now home to cattle and other animals. As a result, hundreds of girls have been deprived of education.

The construction of the proposed middle school began during the tenure of former Sindh Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim, but is yet to be completed more than a decade later. The former provincial government had released funds for the construction of the school, but the contractors only worked for a few months and later disappeared from the site.

Several politicians, including Prime Minister Imran Khan, have visited the village during their election campaigns, assuring the villagers that their problems would be resolved.

The locals have shared their concerns about the lack of girls’ school in the village every single time, but no heed has been paid to their request till date.

The provincial chief minister and the education minister must look into the matter and resume the construction of the said school as it is difficult for young girls to commute long distances to attend schools in nearby villages and cities.

Imtiaz Junejo

Mehar

Published in Dawn, May 24th, 2021