SHANGLA: A government girls primary school (GGPS), Lodhar, in Kana tehsil has been closed for over a year after transfer of its only teacher.

It is the only school in the far-flung village having population of over 2,000. Local people say that female teachers from other areas mostly avoid to be posted in Lodhar due to which the school has been closed for over a year.

Abdul Aziz Shaheen, a resident, said Lodhar GGPS had once the strength of over 200 girl students, but the number dropped during last three years because teachers didn’t want to be posted here.

He claimed that a teacher had been posted in the school, but she never visited it so far despite receiving her salary.

Abdul Qadir, another resident, said people living in Lodhar village were mostly poor and could not afford private education for their children.

He said the area’s elders had complained to the independent monitoring officials too regarding the school closure, but to no avail. He said some parents had managed to shift their children to a boys’ primary school in the village.

Parveen Rehman, who was posted as district education officer recently, said she would initiate an inquiry into the matter. She said Lodhar was a hard area and there was no local teacher there.

The DEO said female teachers avoided to be posted in the school due to its location, but she would address the issue.

SEARCH FOR BODY: The Rescue 1122 resumed search for body of a teenager from Saidanu Dehrai, Shangla, after his relatives protested at Dandai area of Bisham on Friday.

A teenager, Hameedur Rehman, had allegedly jumped into the Indus River on Tuesday to end his life.

Published in Dawn, November 13th, 2022