Local government school in Taxila a picture of neglect.

Byline: Amjad Iqbal

TAXILA -- Built 30 years ago to cater to children in the area, the Government Boys High School Shahiya, in the Hassanabdal tehsil, is a picture of neglect.

The single-storey school building is in disrepair, with just four classrooms for a student body of 627.

Six classes are held out in the open, with no protection for the children from hot or cold weather, and the school does not have any electricity.

Almost half of the students do not have classrooms, and around a hundred do not have seating arrangements, and have to sit on the floor even in the cold.

Half of the student body cannot avail lighting or fans, while the state of lighting in the four classrooms is inadequate as well.

School has four classrooms for 627 students, many complain of being subjected to corporal punishment

The school has 15 teachers and five other staffers, but because of the lack of classrooms they are not utilised properly.

A schoolteacher said that when it rains, students from different grades are forced to study in the same room, which is 'tantamount to wasting their time'.

'Due to the lack of space and rooms in the school building, we have accommodated more than 100 students in a single room.

'The condition in the winter becomes unbearable, as sitting on the floor adds to the students' discomfort,' he said.

Another teacher said the school administration has sent countless requests and reminders to the education department asking them to take notice of the situation and provide basic facilities, but never received a response.

Many students have even complained of being subjected to corporal punishment by teachers. Corporal punishment was banned by the National Assembly in 2013 and is punishable with a year in prison, a fine of Rs50,000 or both.

During a visit to this school earlier this month, Hassanabdal Assistant Commissioner Adnan Anjum Raja caught a teacher subjecting second graders to corporal punishment.

When contacted, he...

To continue reading

Request your trial

VLEX uses login cookies to provide you with a better browsing experience. If you click on 'Accept' or continue browsing this site we consider that you accept our cookie policy. ACCEPT