Daily Times

KARACHI: Even though District Malir is the largest constituency of the metropolis, but it seems that it has very trammeled educational facilities where around 100 state-run schools are operational in dilapidated buildings , Daily Times has learnt.

These schools are functioning under the District Municipal Corporation (DMC), Malir, and the Sindh’s Schools Education Department (SED). The concerned authorities have totally neglected the reconstruction and restoration of these falling-down government schools.

In addition, thousands of students of the area are underprivileged of essential services included lack of furniture, electricity, and toilets. The students are forced to sit under the open sky on mud-covered ground to attend their classes. The teachers have lots of concerns but cannot do anything to provide better facilities to their students.

According to the SED’s record, available to Daily Times, there are 592 schools that existed in the Malir district, Karachi. Out of which, 30 schools are non-functional for last many years while six schools have been closed on permanent basis.

On the other hand, Sindh government has estimated Rs one hundred eighty-five million three hundred thirty-three thousand eight hundred seventy for education works in the budget 2017-18 for Karachi. The figures have also been mentioned by Sindh’s Finance Department in volume three of the budget book-online version is also available on the department web portal. However, SED’s works and services wing has not initiated restoration work of the government schools. Whereas, a number of schools are being run in damaged buildings.

“Provincial government is merely erecting building of the schools but there is no proper system for the maintenance of state-run schools”, said Abdul Rehman, leader of the Karachi based teacher’ association, the Management Committee (SMC)’s fund is an inadequate amount for upholding schools. Thus SED should take some concrete steps for the restoring these institutions.

“Various ethnic groups who have been residing in Malir district which belong to the lower income class can’t afford private schools”, he pointed out, there are 576 government schools functioning in the area in which around 1700 teachers have been appointed but they’re not capable to teach up to the mark due to the lack of basic facilities.

“Biometric machines are only meant to make sure the regular attendance of teachers, it doesn’t mean to uplift the schooling system”, said Muhammad Ilyas, Headmaster of the Government Boys Primary Schools, Malir. The government schools wouldn’t bear fruit until finishing all the difficulties of the enrolled students.

Contrary to this, privately owned schools are popping up in the area. The owners of private schools are not only charging huge fees from the parents but are also selling uniforms, school bags, stationary and other stuffs to the students. “Even gatekeepers do not rely on enrolling their children in government schools then how it be expected from a common person to have trust in state-run schooling system”, said Fazal Aziz, a resident of Malir Kala Board area.

Published in Daily Times, August 31^st 2017.