Despite tall claims by the government to bring about a revolutionary change in the education sector, not a single building has been constructed during the last two to three decades where the ‘schools in rented houses’ could be shifted.
According to details, there are many schools in the federal capital which are set up in rented buildings, which speaks volume of the government’s apathy towards education sector.
Prime Minister’s Education Reforms Programme was launched in December 2015 with great pomp in order to bring about revolutionary changes in the education sector by upgrading and renovating schools, which has so far brought cosmetic changes in only 22 of the schools.
Interestingly, most of the high-ups in Federal Department of Education (FDE) and the Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) are not even aware of the schools housed in the rented buildings, as they just passed the buck to one another, or simply refused to comment on the issue.
Currently, there are several schools in the federal capital, which have no building and are set up in rented houses with no facility because mostly children of the poor are studying in these schools.
There is government primary girl school in a rented house in Shakrail and it has been running in the same building since 1988 and Rs 19,500 is being paid under the head of rent.
There is also a government primary girl school in rented house located in Khana Pull, Iqbal Town, while another primary school is in Bhara Kahu which has been running for the last 20 years.
An owner of the house on the condition of anonymity told this scribe that he was being paid a meager amount, despite the fact the house rent witnessed an unpredicted increase, but the authority did not increase the rent of his building occupied for the last two decades.
The owner said that he could not get the building vacated because it would deprive hundreds of poor children of education, as the government has no plan to construct a separate building for the school.
Talking to Pakistan Today, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MNA from Islamabad Asad Umar said that the nation will question Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif as to what happened to Rs 6 billion PM’s Education Reforms Programme headed by Maryam Nawaz.
He said that reforming education system never remained an agenda of the incumbent government, as it could be judged from the pathetic condition of schools which lack basic facilities.
Asad Umar vowed that he gathered complete details of Islamabad schools having no facilities and would present the report before the National Assembly Standing Committee on Education in its next meeting.
The FDE runs 422 educational institutions, of which 22 were renovated in the first phase of the PM Education Reform Programme.
However, a senior official in FDE said that these were merely cosmetic changes, which the FDE and the CADD were projecting, but what to talk about the rest of the schools which were promised to be provided with classrooms and furniture?
He said that that the PM had appointed his daughter Maryam Safdar as the special supervisor of the PM Education Reform Programme to bring about the promised change, but to no good. “Not a single building has been constructed where these schools could be shifted,” he added.
“Officers at CADD and FDE mainly focus their energies on schools in urban areas which is why schools in rural areas are still deprived of basic facilities,” he maintained.
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (Islamabad) General Secretary Malik Shuja-ur-Rehman lashed out at his own government and said that when a property dealer would be appointed to the highest position how the system would be improved?
He said that CADD minister is an inept and incompetent person, as it could be judged from the problems facing dwellers of Islamabad.
However, Shuja said that he highlighted the issue at various forums but the country is facing some serious national issues; hence, the government mainly focused on them.
When contacted, CADD Joint Secretary of Education Ayesha Farooq, who is currently holding the acting charge of FDE DG, told Pakistan Today that under PM Education Reform Program, efforts were being made to renovate and construct new buildings.
She said that under the scheme, the planning ministry has already approved upgradation of 200 schools and work would soon be started on it.
Despite repeated attempts, Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry could not be reached for his comment on the issue.
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