SWAT: A large number of residents of Kalam strongly criticised the consistent absence of majority of teachers at the Government Girls’ High School for the past several months, jeopardizing the education and future of hundreds of female students.

Despite being the sole government-run girls’ high school in a town of over 20,000 people, the school is currently in a state of crisis due to severe neglect on the part of teaching staff.

The school, which employs nine teachers, has seen eight of them failing to attend their official duties almost on daily basis, leaving only one teacher to manage hundreds of students. This has led to widespread discontent among the schoolgirls, parents and civil society members, who recently staged a protest against the absence of teachers.

More than 400 girls attend this school daily and only a single teacher is unable to cover all the classes of the high school, leading to a significant decline in the quality of education. Frustration among parents and students is mounting, with many girls abandoning their education altogether due to the lack of teachers’ availability in the school.

The ongoing absence of teachers is wasting valuable time and threatening to reverse the progress made in girls’ education.

The parents also lambasted the district education office for failing to monitor and address the situation at the said school. The parents accused the education authorities of negligence and not paying heed to their complaints in this regard.

When contacted, the district education officer for female was reportedly unavailable for comments. However, an official of her office confirmed that they were inquiring into the reported absence of most of female teachers at the said school.

Published in Dawn, August 10th, 2024