KARACHI, Oct 16: The standard of education has started falling with each passing day and as a result the number of students in many institutions has decreased at an alarming rate.

During visits to some government secondary and lower secondary schools in SITE Town, it was observed that only drastic steps by officials could save the schools from closure.

According to school teachers, ever increasing corruption, poor infrastructure, shortage of staff and mushroom growth of private schools in every nook and corner of the city are some of the major factors contributing to the disappointing situation.

They say that the education department seemed least interested in solving the problems. Had the officials ever inspected the schools during assembly hours and counted the students in classrooms, many schools might have been declared closed so far.

Teachers are of the opinion that the situation would improve if the government effectively implemented the rules and purged the education department from the corrupt elements. They demand the government to order probe into the funds allocated every year for maintenance of infrastructure and development.

The survey shows that there are 26 high schools in the eight union councils of SITE Town. However, the schools have not been established on the basis of area-wise population. There are six high schools each in UC-2 and UC-4. Similarly, UC-3, 5 and 8 have two schools each. UC-1 has four high schools and UC-6 has three while there is only one high school in UC-7.

The government boys’ secondary school, Asifabad (UC-1), speaks volume of official negligence and indifferent attitude of the education department. Situated in Pak Colony, the school has 10 spacious rooms without furniture. Ironically, there are three teachers for the students, who are yet to get admission as the school has no student enrolled at present. Teachers say that there is no other staff available.

Wiring of the entire building has been stolen. Almost all doors and windows have been hollowed by termites. There is neither water nor electricity.

In the same compound, government boys’ lower secondary school is located. The school has three classrooms for 60 students. The headmistress said that at present there are three teachers available at the school. She said that the posts of Sindhi language teacher, Arabic teacher, watchman, drawing master and sweeper were lying vacant, while the peon had been detailed somewhere else. Water and electricity facilities are next to nil.

Iron grills, stove, and water tank have been stolen adding that there was a shortage of furniture.

Instead of paying proper attention to improve these schools, the education department opened six new primary schools at the same location with a distance of only a boundary wall. These schools are GBPS Asifabad, GBPS Asifabad Colony, GBPS Jamia Masjid Hari Wilayatabad, GGPS Asifabad No 2 (morning), GGPS Asifabad No 1 (afternoon) and GBPS Rehmania (afternoon). All these schools lack water and toilet facilities. Electricity has been drawn through the illegal hook. School teachers say, “The supervisors inspect the schools just to register their visits, as their grievances were hardly redressed.”

The Govt Boys High School, Bunde Ali Mukhi, Golimar was once a popular centre of learning. However, owing to official neglect, its condition is deteriorating day by day.

It is surprising to note that there are 16 teachers for only 18 students presently enrolled at the school. When the headmistress was asked about the decreasing number of students, she refused to give any details.

The school lacks water and toilet facilities. Neither there is power supply nor any fan.

The Govt Boys High School, Crescent Grammar, has 22 teachers for 200 students. Situated in UC-3, the school has been functioning in a rented building without water and toilet facilities. Teachers said that the school was located in a congested area where people had no other option and stressed the need on early supply of water and construction of the toilets, adding that their repeated requests in this regard had proved useless.

The school having 10 classrooms gets power supply through an illegally hooked connection. Heaps of garbage is seen everywhere in the corridors and stairs, as the post of sweeper has been lying vacant since long.

The Govt Girls Model High School, located in UC-4, has 238 students and 22 teachers. The spacious building consists of 16 classrooms.

The headmistress said that contaminated water was being supplied to the school. She said that ceiling fans were required for the classrooms. A computer teaching programme had been started but it could not be continued as majority of the students refused to pay the monthly fee of Rs150.

She said that the parking of loaded trucks and movement of the labourers in front of the school was a constant problem for the students and teachers as well. “Once a student was crushed under the wheels of a truck, but the owners of the factories despite our requests did not stop parking the trucks in front of the school”, she complained.

The Govt Girls High School, KB Contractor, located in old Golimar UC-2, has 14 teachers for 400 students.

The headmistress said that eight posts including that of biology teacher and PTI were vacant. She demanded posting of at least four teachers on emergency basis. She further said that six more ceiling fans were required at the school. Besides, the construction of overhead water tank and repair of furniture was also needed.

She said that eight computers, five fans, water nulls, iron grills had been stolen. She said that during the last 10 years 25 theft cases had been recorded, but the police despite reports had not arrested the accused yet.

The Govt Girls High School, ST-1, is located in Asifabad UC-2, where 436 students are enrolled. There are 15 teachers in all excluding Sindhi language teacher. The school lacks water, power and toilet facilities.

The Govt Girls High School, ST-3, has 10 teachers for 154 students. The posts of Sindhi language teacher, peon, lady servant, and watchman have been vacant since long. Fans have been stolen while the limited furniture needs repair. The supply of free textbooks as promised by the government has not been ensured.

The only high school for girls located in UC-7, Pathan Colony, has nine teachers for 182 students. The posts of biology, mathematics, Sindhi, physics teachers, a sweeper and a peon are lying vacant. The science lab needs equipment and an attendant. “At least six more teachers are required,” the headmistress said. The free books for the matric classes have not been provided so far.

The Govt Girls High School, located in UC-8 (Qasba Mor), has 19 teachers for 1132 students.

The school has only six classrooms while nine rooms have been temporarily acquired from the government boys high school, which is situated in the same compound. The school has no teacher for mathematics, English and general science subjects. Water and toilet facilities are next to nil. There is a dearth of furniture and students are required to bring mats from home for seating purpose. The overcrowded classes lack fans.

The science lab has been set up in a small room where students hardly find space to stand while doing their experiments. The science teacher said, “We have to purchase them from our own pockets.”

Electricity has been drawn through an illegal hook, which is limited only to the headmistress office.

The boundary wall has collapsed and the school building has developed cracks. The headmistress said that computer classes had been started, but could not be continued as the students refused to pay the monthly fee Rs30.

The Govt Boys High School (Qasba) is also situated along the girls high school, where 10 other primary schools and a lower secondary school are functioning.

The GBHS has 11 teachers for 270 students. It is a two-storey building, where water is available, but the sewerage system has failed owing to which toilets could not be used. Electricity has been drawn through an illegal hook. Two of the nine class rooms (6th and 7th) have no furniture at all, where the students use mats, while in the rest of classrooms too the furniture needs repairs.

The principal told Dawn that that the posts of Arabic, Sindhi language and science teachers had been vacant since long.

A teacher said that the statement of new expenditures (SNE) of the science room was yet to be approved, where the chemicals for experiment purposes were arranged on self-help basis.

A source in education department disclosed that a piece of land had been acquired in the past for establishment of a college near the two high schools, but the idea fell prey to politics and a portion of the land was occupied by area influentials.

The Govt Girls Lower Secondary School has four teachers and 40 students.

Electricity has been drawn through an illegal hook. The boundary wall collapsed during the monsoon rains.

The Govt Boys Secondary School, Hasrat Mohani Colony (Bara Board), has seven teachers at present while two teachers have been detailed somewhere else. The number of students is 410.

The headmaster told Dawn that seven posts of teachers including Sindhi language teacher, Arabic teacher and science teachers were vacant, adding that two posts of clerks and one of a sweeper were also vacant. Water and toilets facilities are not available.

A teacher pointed out that the science laboratory was lacking the chemicals and other experimental equipments. It was informed that Rs55,000 had been paid to the KESC for installation of power meter but the meter could not be installed even after two years.

The Govt Girls Secondary School, Hasrat Mohani Colony, has nine teachers for 300 students. The facilities of water, electricity and toilets are next to nil. The furniture is also in poor condition and needs repair.

The Govt Girls Secondary School, ST-5, (Yasir Zubair Colony) has 19 teachers except Sindhi language and Arabic teachers. There are 340 students in 11 classrooms. The posts of sweeper, female servant and peon have been vacant.

The headmistress said that the ceiling fans had been out of order since long, adding that at least 22 fans for classrooms were required. She said that due to shortage of teachers and other facilities no new admission was given.

Teachers say that the areas of Qasba, Asifabad, Hasrat Mohani, and Yasir Zubair colonies have many schools from primary to secondary level, but there was no college for girls. It was suggested that girls colleges should be established in Qasba and Asifabad.

The Govt Boys Lower Secondary School, situated at Bawani Challi, (UC- 4) has six teachers. There are three rooms for 55 students. The new admissions reported till Sept 26 were 28. Electricity has been drawn through an illegal hook, while the furniture is insufficient and needs repairs. There is no water and toilet facility. The headmaster said that three ceiling fans were required for the classrooms.