The courage of schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai has renewed students’ determination to learn despite the poor state of the country’s education system, undermined by poverty and under attack from Islamist militants.
Militants have destroyed four schools in the last week alone, according to officials — two on Wednesday in Mohmand tribal district and two more in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The provincial government says more than 700,000 students have been affected, though casualties are low as most school attacks happen at night when students are at home.
“The insurgents mostly target girl’s schools and order both teachers and students to stay inside their homes as per their version of Islamic teachings or face the dire consequences,” said provincial information minister Iftikhar Hussain.
Naseem Baigam, a teacher at the government-run Islamia Collegiate girls’ high school in Peshawar told AFP the destruction of schools and the attack on Malala had frightened parents.
But students at the school said they were inspired by Malala.
“It is disappointing that Taliban are destroying schools,” Saba Riaz, a final year student, told AFP. “Such attacks are disturbing but Malala has given us courage to fight for the cause of education.” Her friend Razia Khan agreed: “Girls will never be scared by such attacks. In any case we will continue our studies, even if they are destroying schools or attacking girls like Malala.”