PESHAWAR: The elementary and secondary education department in Pakistan’s northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province has closed down around 1,000 government primary schools owing to low enrolment and shifted their students to the nearest schools.

According to official sources, the abandoned school buildings, which had cost billions of rupees, were constructed by the education department at unfeasible places and in violation of criteria merely on the directives of the then rulers to oblige their voters.

“Despite the closure of 1,000 schools, the government has been following the past practice to construct schools at the behest of rulers. As in the past, currently the government schools are constructed on the directives of Chief Minister Pervez Khattak,” an official said.

He said that education department was helpless in that regard as it only followed the directives of the chief minister. “We have no power to decide about the construction of a school on need basis, rather we have to wait for the directives of the chief minister,” he added.

The chief minister was approving schools in the constituencies of lawmakers to oblige them, alleged some sources.

“Not only the chief minister decides the construction of the new primary schools but he also decides upgradation of primary schools to middle, high or higher secondary level,” claimed the official.

He said that each year, the provincial government reflected in the budget the establishment of schools in bulk that was approved by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly.

“After the passage of the budget, the chief minister issues directives to the education department from time to time regarding construction of each school,” he said.

The official said that opinion of education department about construction of new schools was often rejected rather schools were set up wherever the chief minister and legislators wanted.

A district education officer said that education department closed those schools where enrolled students were less than 40. He added that most of the closed schools were located in the rural areas.

The number of closed schools in Peshawar is 45, Mansehra 100, Abbottabad 65, Bannu 60, Battagram 90, Kohistan 87, Charsadda 58, Chitral 55, Mardan 60, Haripur 60, Swabi 55, Lakki Marwat 60, Dera Ismail Khan 12, Malakand 15, Swat 10, Tank 10, Torghar 7 and in Nowshera is 4.

Internews