Islamabad, March 10: Residents of a coastal village in the Badin district of Sindh province, Pakistan, have expressed concern over the closure of a government primary school for the past five years, resulting in local children not having access to even basic education, local media reported.
The Government Primary School in Sheikh Qarehio Bhandari village, the last settlement of Union Council Bhugra Memon in the coastal belt of Badin, has been non-operational for years. Local residents have said that the building of the school, which is a hut-like structure, remains in a dilapidated condition, as reported by Pakistan's leading daily, The Express Tribune.
Residents have said that the absence of teachers and the dilapidated condition of the school building showcase the neglect by the education department and other relevant authorities. According to locals, children from the village are forced to travel to other areas to receive education due to the closure of the school.
They said that although the government announces initiatives to promote education and recruit teachers, schools in rural areas remain shut, showcasing administrative inefficiency and neglect by the authorities. The Express Tribune reported that local residents have urged authorities to take immediate measures to restore the school, repair the building, and appoint teachers in the school.
Last month, a government report revealed that 26.2 million children in Pakistan still remain out of school.
Pakistan's Federal Ministry of Education and Professional Training released the 'Girls’ Education Statistics and Trends Report 2023-24', which revealed the number of children who remain out of school, as reported by leading daily Dawn.
According to the report, 26.2 million children remain out of schools, including 3.4 million girls. The report also revealed funding issues, stressing that Pakistan's education financing had weakened with the national education share reducing from 13 per cent to 11 per cent, and the majority of provinces reducing funding, especially Punjab and Sindh.
The report revealed that 19 per cent of schools were equipped with digital tools. In addition, 23 per cent of schools have installed ramps for specially-abled students, however, schools do not have adequate specialized assistive learning materials, as reported by Dawn.
While launching the report, Pakistan's Federal Minister Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui stated that the primary school completion rate for girls had increased by 75 per cent to 89 per cent.