CBS on verge of closure at Shekhandeh Kalash valley.
CHITRAL (APP): Community Based School (CBS) of Shekhanandeh Bomborate the last village of Kalash valley is on the verge of closure due to no financial support by any government or non-governmental organization. As a result 245 students would be deprived from education. During a survey conducted by APP to Shekhanandeh the most remote and backward locality situated on Pak Afghan border a large number of people opened offices of complaints. Talking to APP Musa khan Chairman parents teachers council (PTC) said that the community based school building was constructed by Aga khan Education Services for Pakistan which was later on handed over to Alkhidmat Foundation and was running smoothly but majority of inhabitants of the area are poor and can not pay 100 rupees for their children as monthly tuition fee as a result Alkhidmat foundation also left the school unclaimed. And now it is running on self-help basis. There are 8 classes from 1 to 8 and both boys and girls’ students are reading here under co-education he added. He said that 8 teachers have been engaged in this CBS school for 8 classes on a very nominal remuneration where 2 female teachers were also engaged from an other village who coming to this school by feet.
Talking to APP Miss Muslima Bib and Miss Zuhra Bibi the only female teachers of the area told that there is no girls school in the whole valley and that is why they went to Chitral and stayed at the house of their relative and passed their matriculation examination. They said that they also qualified their Primary Teaching Course and now they teaching in this school on missionary spirit but they getting only 1500 rupees per month, which is really strange and amazing. They said that they coming from 6 kilometers away and covered the distance by feet, which is taking 1 hour and sometime 2 hours when earthen road is block by snowfall in winter season. They revealed that they were given no salary for the last 4 months due to financial crises as they getting 100 rupees from a single student and 60 rupees from two real brothers or sisters. They said that some 245 students of 8 classes have been adjusted in 5 classrooms due to shortage of infrastructure. Members of PTC appeal to high ups of education department and any other NGO or philanthropists to take this school in their charge and run it smoothly because in present situation it is feared to be closed due to no support to this school. They said that the valley is very backward and non accessible where there is no girls school so they established this CBS on self help basis and now want to be supported this CBS by government or any NGO to save it from closing as a result hundred of students would be deprived from education.
Besides it a middle school has been established in 2008 but there is also acute shortage of teaching staff. Some 85 students are reading in GMS but there are only 5 teaching staff while posts of Senior English Teacher and Physically education teacher are lying vacant since its establishment. As well as the school also not have compound wall and deprived from pipeline. Musa Khan Chairman Parents Teachers council and social and political circle of the area have appeal Federal and Provincial government as well as to Non Government Organizations and philanthropists to support this CBS financially to continue lighting candle of Education or it may be handed over to any private sector to run it smoothly because majority of students parents are poor and they can not bear even to pay rupees 100 per month as tuition fee for their children.
G.H. Farooqi PO Box No. 50 GPO Chitral Pakistan Phone No. 03025989602, 03469002167, 0943-302295, 414418
Email: gulhamad@gmail.com