LOWER DIR: Hundreds of students in Koheri Bala area of Lower Dir have been forced to study under the open sky as the government has failed to reconstruct the building of a primary school destroyed in the 2015 earthquake.

Residents said the school’s building was badly damaged in the quake and was later declared unsafe for use. The structure was demolished for reconstruction and in 2021 the government approved Rs25 million for the project and even issued a tender. However, despite the passage of 10 years, the school building has yet to be rebuilt.

The residents complained that children were compelled to continue their education without shelter in both harsh summers and severe winters, while the provincial government had announced an education emergency. They said the situation exposed the government’s tall claims about prioritising education.

Parents and social activists said the school also faced an acute shortage of staff, as only two teachers were available for hundreds of students.

They urged the government to immediately reconstruct the school building and appoint more teachers.

Meanwhile, Jamaat-i-Islami Timergara zone chief Haji Majeedullah told reporters on Wednesday that the decades-old building of a government primary school in Satandar area of Balambat had developed serious cracks, putting the lives of hundreds of students at risk.

The JI activist said the school was established in 1978, but since then no repair or maintenance work had been carried out. As a result, the structure had become unsafe and could collapse at any time, he added.

Mr Majeedullah said repeated requests had been submitted to the education department and district administration for urgent repairs, but no practical steps had been taken.

Published in Dawn, September 18th, 2025