Schools with no basic facilities

Not surprisingly a large number of public-sector schools are lacking basic facilities, including clean drinking water and seating arrangements.

The incumbent, following the lines of previous governments, is spending larger portion of budget on defence projects. On the other side, it has not had funds for education sector.

Although basic education must be top priority of the governments, it is not the case in Pakistan. The condition and quality of education government primary schools providing in major areas of the country are worsening with every year.

Hundreds of ghost schools have been registered to grab funds from the nation exchequer. In most of the rural areas, school buildings have been used as drawings rooms and cattle sheds by the local landowners. Students and teachers are forced to sit under trees in the open fields.

A vital instance is the Government Primary School Hamaad Colony, which has lack of basic facilities despite being located in the centre of provincial metropolis of Lahore.

There are hundreds of other educational institutions that lack infrastructure including toilets, clean drinking water, playgrounds and furniture in class rooms.  Another dilemma of these schools is shortage of teaching staff.

The provision of clean drinking water to public sector schools has always been a big issue. Majority of schools in the rural areas have no water-saving tanks and some that have them, don’t have in working condition.

These are not hygienic and are infested with insects and poisonous elements. After drinking water from these tanks, many students get sick.

Consequently, poor people of rural areas prefer alternatives like seminaries. A report prepared by the World Bank stated that one percent students move from public schools to seminaries as the latter offer food and lodging in addition to religious education.

Middle-class people admit their children into private-sector schools instead of public-sector intuitions. Although their education standard is comparatively better, these private schools charge immense fees from parents, pressing them under the high inflation.

If the government wants to overcome persisting crises, it will have to focus on the basic education. The government should take revolutionary steps to enhance the standard of basic education according to the up-to-date requirements.

The country will surely move towards development if the basic education syllabus is standardized according to modern demands.

Short URL: https://www.newspakistan.pk/?p=16841

Posted by Faisal Farooq on Mar 23 2012. Filed under Education, Opinion, Pakistan, Society. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.