ISLAMABAD, Dec 16: Majority of the middle schools for girls in the country lack proper security arrangements, a survey conducted by a group of 30 civil society organisations showed.Fafen Education Institution Monitor closely observed 106 girl middle schools across Pakistan during October 2010 and deplored that despite tall claims the government had not provided foolproof security to the educational institutions in the face of terrorist threats and attacks on girl schools.
During the survey it was found that 72 per cent of the girl schools – 100 per cent in Balochistan, 73 per cent in Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and 63 per cent in the Punjab – were without security.
Fafen visited 43 girls’ middle schools in 28 districts of Punjab, 26 schools in 17 districts of KP, nine schools in as many districts in Balochistan, 26 in 17 districts of Sindh and one school each in a Fata agency and Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) to monitor the state of physical infrastructure, attendance of teachers and students, staffing, facilities and funds.
It was found that though the schools were maintaining rudimentary physical infrastructure, a significant proportion of schools were without proper buildings, furniture, required facilities for staff and students and recreational services.
As many as 48 per cent schools had no staff room for teachers and 45 per cent schools lacked required furniture in classrooms. The facility of clean drinking water for the students was also not available in 38 per cent of the monitored schools across the country.
The survey findings said the situation was worst in Sindh where 54 per cent of the schools lacked clean drinking water, followed by 44 per cent schools in Balochistan.
Half of the schools were without playground–56 per cent schools in Balochistan, 54 per cent in KP, 50 per cent in Sindh and 47 per cent in the Punjab.
On average, 15 per cent of the teaching posts and 13 per cent non-teaching posts in the girls’ middle schools were vacant.
The data suggested that one teacher was available for 27 students on average. However, lower ratio was seen in Balochistan, where a teacher was available for every 43 students. Nationwide, 68 per cent monitored schools reported maximum (76 to 100 per cent) teacher attendance on the day of monitoring. Around 71 per cent schools reported maximum student attendance.
Interestingly, more than 83 per cent of the girls’ middle schools of the country declined to share budgetary details with Fafen.
No school in Balochistan, Fata and ICT shared budgetary information.
According to budgetary details provided by 18 observed schools nationwide, the government spends Rs3,943 on each student of the schools. In KP per student spending is Rs5,965, followed by Punjab and Sindh where Rs3,791 and Rs2,379 were available to be spent on each enrolled student, respectively.