A ‘model’ public school without furniture, toilets

Believe it or not, there is a public school in the capital city that has no basic modern day facilities, yet the nameplate on the building’s façade reads: “Islamabad Model School for Girls”. A visitor can never miss the absence of proper furniture, potable water, washrooms and the dilapidated condition of the building.Despite the fact that all the federal government schools (FGSs) have been upgraded and given the status of ‘model’ schools, the said school is a typical example of official neglect. The names of all the FG schools were changed under PM Gilani’s directives but no efforts were made to upgrade these state-run schools. A visit, by this scribe, to the Islamabad Model School for Girl at Khana Dak badly exposed tall claims of the authorities that the capital is a model city when it comes to the state-run education system.
Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani had announced on 8 October 2010 to upgrade all the federal government schools and colleges to ‘model’ institutes. The announcement aimed at ending disparity in the parallel government systems in the country for different social classes and providing equal opportunities to all students living within the Islamabad Capital Territory. But Pakistan Today has learnt that the Model Girls School at Khana Dhak, which is the only government middle school for girls in the entire area and which is catering to the needs of hundreds of students is in a shambles. Local sources said the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) has turned a blind eye to worsening state of affairs at the schools. Its building is in a dilapidated condition, posing a threat to the life of students and teachers.
As many as 274 girl students, most of them belonging to underprivileged families from the surrounding areas, study here. There are only seven female teachers working at the school.
Talking to Pakistan Today, a teacher, seeking anonymity, told this scribe that the only up-gradation of public schools done so far was limited to changing their name.
“You can see a signboard saying the school is a model school but once inside every one can it is a big lie,” she observed. Ironically, there is no furniture at all in school for students and they have to sit on some shabby rugs while attending their classes.
With damaged walls, cracked floors of class rooms and seeping ceilings, the school building looks like a haunted house.
Another teacher said that whenever the teachers raised some issue with the FDE officials for the plight of school, they were told to get some white wash work done to hide the cracks and shabbiness of the building.
Talking to Pakistan Today, a resident of the neighbourhood said the school building was built some 70 years ago. “We’ve heard from our grandfather that it used to be a Hindu temple, and after partition, it was turned into the school,” said Asghar Ali.
He said that the authorities were well aware of the school’s condition but they never bothered to take any step for its restoration.
This scribe was told that the school also faced the shortage of classrooms. Currently there are only three classrooms while two classes are held in the corridor.
“Owing to this shortage of classrooms, we are forced to hold classes in the veranda even on rainy and harsh winter days,” said the teacher. This scribe, however, could not talk to any students since the school was holding its internal examination and they were on holidays for preparation.