ISLAMABAD, Nov 29: Parents of school students in the upper Chitral valleys have alleged that government schools in their areas have become ‘labour camps’ as teachers take children to their house work for domestic chores and even hire them out to friends and relatives.

They said schoolchildren were also used to clean offices and other parts of school-buildings daily, despite the fact that all the institutions had staff for the purpose.

Talking to this correspondent, several parents in Mastuj and Yarkhoon union councils also complained that owing to shortage of academic staff and perpetual absence of non-local teachers, the standard of education had deteriorated. Most of the institutions, they said, had shown zero success results in the matriculation exams over the past five years.

Private schools established to fill the vacuum have also failed to deliver the goods despite their high fees.

The parents said that on one hand the government claimed to have devised a strategy to enhance enrolment and check dropout rates, on the other it did nothing to check corporal punishment and students’ vulnerability to physical harm due to their involvement in manual work during school hours.

They said students were used as domestic servants at teachers’ homes and as workers in construction of houses, harvesting crops, threshing, etc.

On Oct 9, they pointed out, a student of class VI in the Mastuj union council fell into the Yarkhoon river while helping in the construction of a suspension bridge. He was saved by a passer-by about 150 yards down the river.

The people said that teachers in all schools in the villages of Sonoghor, Parwak, Harchin, Mastuj, Chuinj, Parkosab, Khozz, Chappali, Kargeen, Brep, Istach, Dizg, Khruzg, Merthing, Pashk, Bang, Power, Zzupu, Wasam, Dobargar, Shosht and Lasht were using students as labourers.

When contacted, Executive District Officer (education) Sherdil Aman said the government policy was very clear on the issue, adding that engaging schoolchildren in any type of activity other than academic was disallowed.

He said disciplinary action would be taken against those found involved in the practice.

The EDO said his office had never received any complaint from parents in this regard.