Daily Times

KARACHI: The administration of Malala Government Girls Secondary School has concealed the name of Malala inscribed at the façade of the school building due to threats.

The administration told that some suspects have threatened the parents of girl’s students to keep them at homes instead of sending to the school. This move has also terrified the students of the school.

The enrollment has also decreased after these threats. The school management has informed the concerned authorities about this situation, but Education Department and Law Enforcement Agencies (LEA) are not taking any concrete steps for the security of the school.

When contacted, Shaheen Parveen, the headmistress of the school, told Daily Times that some students and parents have complained that some suspects have threatened them and asked not to come to the school.

However, she added, concerned authorities have been informed about the current situation but as a preventive measure Malala’s name has been concealed on the school board.

The school is situated on Mission Road, Bhimpura — an old city area. The foundation stone of the school was laid down by Seth Koverji Khamji Gujrati before Indo-Pak partition and the school was also named after him as Seth Koverji Khamji Lohana Gujrati School.

However, Sindh Government renamed the school as Malala Yousafzai Govermnet School with Malala her father Shoukat Yousafzai and senior minister education Pir Mazahar-ul-Haq inaugurated the school on February 6, 2012.

Pir Mazhar had also announced on the occasion that the school will be upgraded to a degree college, but this did not happen even after four years.

On the other hand, Works and Services Department has not released funds for the renovation of the school and its adjacent building. The Directorate of School Karachi (DSH) has merged four different public sector schools namely New Idea Boys Schools, New Mission Elementary Middle school, and Logo Islamia School to be run in the same building of Malala Govt Girls Secondary School.

This has created hurdles for teaching staff, while it also disturbs studies of students. Sui Southern Gas Company Limited has also disconnected the supply of gas to the school due to non-payment of utility bills to add to the woes of the management.

Shaheen said she is the acting in-charge of the school as the Education Department has not deployed any headmistress in the school for last 3 years. She added that School Management Committee (SMC) has provided funds for the renovation but they are insufficient.

She demanded from the Sindh government to provide funds for renovation and construction of the premises because it is difficult to run four different schools in the same building.