A Backwards Journey

Thousands of schools close their doors in Sindh but the Sindh govt doesn’t seem much concerned

SUKKUR: The Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) government in Sindh has always claimed that it is committed to improve education infrastructure in the province and providing quality education to students in government schools, but the reality is quite different.

Sindh Education Minister Syed Sardar Ali Shah announced the closure of 5,000 government schools across Sindh on November 13, and the Sindh Education Department officially announced the closure of 4,901 government schools across the province by December 31 through a notification.

The Education Department described the majority of schools to be closed as non-functional, while thousands of schools were described as being in critical condition.

Given a phenomenal growth in population, it appears necessary to increase the number of schools; but the Sindh government has done just the opposite by closing thousands of schools.

One of the main reasons cited for the schools’ closure was that a large number of teachers posted in rural areas do not go to their duties though they are receiving their salaries according to official record.

Bol News conducted a survey of the rural areas of Sukkur district to find out the actual situation of the government schools and the facilities provided there.

Around 20 government schools are closed in Sukkur district’s Tehsil Saleh Pat, and many of the primary schools that are open are in disrepair. The Government Primary School building in Goth Subo Mahar was completely destroyed in floods, forcing students to sit and study in the school courtyard.

As there is no furniture in the school, dozens of children in the village of Subo Mahar study, sitting on a dirt floor. The school’s washroom is in disrepair, and there is also no place for students to drink water.

The situation is similar in Goth Chudko Mahar, where there is currently no primary school building.

This school opened in 1988 but after only a few years, the building collapsed. All traces of this school gradually vanished, and the children of this village are now studying while sitting under a tree.

According to Nizamuddin Mahar, a resident of the area, higher officials in the education department were also informed, but no one has paid attention. There is no school building in this village today. According to official records, it is a primary school.

Expressing deep regret, Mahar said, “The future of our children is getting darker because there are no teachers and no school buildings. Now how will our children get an education?

“The world is progressing toward modern education, and this is Sindh, our children do not have a school building nor school furniture to sit on.”

The Bol News team also witnessed a similar situation in Goth Mitho Mahar, where a school for female students –Bab Fatima School – was closed some 16 years back, just two years after its inauguration seemingly for no apparent reason.

The school building has deteriorated over time. Plaster has fallen from the roofs; iron bars can be seen in the school classrooms; and the roofs of this school could collapse at any time.

Speaking to Bol News, Attaullah Mohtam, education officer of Tehsil Saleh Pat, said confirmed that 20 schools in the area have been closed and many school buildings are in poor condition.

However, he said, the education department is trying to reopen the closed schools.

“All damaged buildings will be constructed and repaired. A paperwork is being completed in this regard Khurshid Shah and Awais Qadir Shah, who were elected respectively as the member National Assembly and the member provincial assembly from this area, are also working hard in this regard,” he said.

According to Attaullah, there is also a shortage of teachers in Tehsil Saleh Pat, which is why some government schools are closed.

“Recruitment of teachers has been done recently, and these teachers will be posted in schools in rural areas. If the teacher shortage in schools ends, closed schools can be reopened,” he added.

He said Saleh Pat is a desert area and the education department is trying to bind the teachers posted here to perform their duties fully.

Many districts in Upper Sindh have experienced school closures, and the situation at the government schools in rural areas has been continuously deteriorating.

It is clear that Sindh education department officials know where education is headed and how it can be improved, but they seem unwilling to focus on these issues despite receiving salaries and benefits.

Many school buildings are in such bad shape that a major accident could occur at any time.

One may ask as to who will be held accountable if such an accident occurs and how will Sindh’s new generation be educated or motivated to learn if there is no furniture in schools for them to sit on.

It is a question for the Sindh government and the education department as to when will the education system be improved so that the next generation will be interested in education and work for the betterment of the province and, by and large, the nation.