SWABI: The residents of gadoon have demanded from government to established females school in gadoon, a rural and hilly area of district swabi. Females students are facing many education problem and about eighty percent of girls are deprived of education due to lack of girls’ schools in the area.
Parents in the area are breaking cultural barriers by sending their daughters to boy school, a trend frowned upon by most famiilies in the area. “There is no girls school in Kot Gabai, Gabasnai, Dewal garhi, Mazghand, Kolagar, Gandaf, Panawal, seria utmanzai, amrhai and other villeges of Gadon area, says parents of deprived females.
“Sitting with so many boys is awkwad, but we are willing to do it for the sake of our education,” says Shagufta bibi a bright, grade ten standard, says, student studying at a co-education school in Gadoon, a remote village of swabi.
“My daughter wanted to continue her education after primary school but she could not do so because of the absence of middle or high girls school in the area, ” says local resident Gul Mohammad, whose daughter Maryam bibi passed her primary school examination and deprived from further schooling.
“It is not considered a good thing in our society to allow girls, to study, in the same school as boys, but we are compelled, we want our girls educated,” insists one Ajoon Khan, a Social Activist of the area.
There currently are five hundred plus females students enrolled in the boys’ school. They sit excitedly in the front row of the class, eager for their lesson to begin. Some of them are too shy to participate but little “Shahana” is an active member of class discussions. She feels fortunate; the other girls in her village had to quit their education after primary school.“There are many girls who want to study but their fathers don’t allow them to sit with boys,” says Shahana .Her declaration of her dream to become a pilot makes the boys in her class giggle.
“I must say the students, both girls and boys, are very bright.They grasp concepts very quickly. The government must do more for the education of these young minds.” Amjid Ali, a teacher of Govt School added, adding that despite the eagerness of the students, the lack of resources makes teaching and learning very difficult.There is some hope that the overall situation will eventually improve, he adds.
Asad Qaiser, the former speaker and member of national assembly representing the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf which holds government in the province, tells Country News the PTI government gives importance to education.He says the boys’ middle school, which the girls are also using, was built by the PTI govt. “We have already communicated the demands of the villagers about school for girls, and I am sure that soon the girls’ school will be established,” he adds.
“Girls education is important, PTI govt must see the issue and give them girls school, tehsil Chairman Rahim Jadon of JUIF added, adding that the PTI Govt in the past ten years of govt in KP has do nothing in education sector in the area.