At least 13 percent of low cost Christian schools have no toilet facilities for the students in Pakistan’s largest province, whereas around half lack separate facilities for students. This was revealed in the ‘Low Cost Christian Schools of Punjab Survey Report 2016’ issued here on Tuesday.
This comprehensive report regarding the number of low cost Christian schools, students, teachers, and missing facilities will help identify the problems faced by these private institutions for the early redressal of their grievances.
The report was prepared by Starfish Pakistan, a nongovernmental organisation (NGO), after a survey of as many as 604 low cost Christian schools where basic facilities were missing in almost all schools.
“Most of the schools lacked playgrounds, libraries, and electricity while the students were also without notebooks and proper uniforms,” the report revealed and added that around 85,135 boys and girls were being taught by 4,218 teachers.
According to the report, these schools are charging nominal monthly fees from rupees 50 to 200 from each student whereas teachers’ salaries ranged from rupees 2,000 to 7,000 per month despite a minimum wage of 14,000 being fixed by the government.
While addressing the ceremony, Provincial Minister for Human Rights and Minorities Affairs Khalil Tahir Sandhu said that collective efforts were needed to facilitate the low cost Christian Schools of underdeveloped areas as these institutions were rendering commendable services to society’s underprivileged.
Sandhu said that despite studying in low cost schools, the students of the Christian community were equally intelligent and serving the nation exceptionally in all walks of life. “The Punjab government is ready to provide all necessary educational facilities to such schools which contribute greatly to increasing the literacy rate despite their limited resources and nominal fee structure,” he said.
MPA Shehzad Munshi, Saint Anthony’s High School Principal Shahid Amroz, Starfish Pakistan National Director Ansar Javed, Shahid Baloch, Professor Farzand, and representatives from the Salvation Army, NGOs and the Christian community were also present on the occasion.