LANDI KOTAL (Khyber Agency), Aug 21: The Government Higher Secondary School for Girls, the only institution of its kind in Landi Kotal, has been without teaching staff for three months.

In May, the Fata Education Department had terminated the service contract of six subject specialist teachers and since then the institution has no-one to teach these subjects.

Shortage of teachers not only seriously affects studies of present students but it has also affected new enrolments in its higher secondary section. The school was able to achieve just 35 per cent success in the recent metric exams while during the new academic session only four students have so far been admitted.

The higher secondary section does not have teachers for Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Computer Science and Humanities subjects. In the metric section, all science subjects are taught by one teacher.

At present there are only nine girl students in the metric section which indicates reluctance on the part of area residents to send their daughters to school.

While well-to-do class admit their kids to better institutions at higher costs, the poor are left with no choice but stay at home.

About 18 months ago, the school was provided with ten computers by the government but in absence of a computer science teacher the computers are still in cartons. Director Education Fata Dr Rauf says the problem is a complex one because there is shortage of computer science teachers in the tribal areas. “You find me a computer teacher and I will appoint her”, was the reply of Dr Rauf when he was reminded of his inability to tackle the situation.

College students Shabnam, Sadia, Hajra, Shaila, Nazara, Gul Bano, Riffat and Amara said that their complaints about the shortage of teachers fell on a deaf ear.

College Principal Ms Shamim Mehdi also sent several reminders to the authorities concerned but to no avail. Other students accused even the principal of not attending to her duties. However, the principal could not be contacted to for comments despite several attempts.