Ahmed Nabi
LANDI KOTAL: Habib-ul-Haq, sitting in a group with other students on mates under an open sky in a school surrounded by wreckages and busy in his reading and writing as to remain continue study.
Habib ul Haq, a student of grade 9th and resident of Bara tehsil Khyber Agency, is not an only student of Government High School Alam Godar Tehsil of Bara tehsil, being demolished by militants some years back, who reads under an open sky but 250 other students of various grades are also enrolled in this school.
Though, a historical school across Khyber Agency FATA, was extensively razed by alleged anti-state elements in 2009 during the worsening law and order condition in Bara teshil, which still awaits reconstruction after almost eight and half years.
“I have been internally displaced persons (IDPs) for few years as after return to my native land, i along with other returnee’s boys resumed their studies in the school, said Habib. As compare to pre-militancy state, the presently condition of the school was like pile of rubble and the students sit on bare ground to learn their studies he added and said the government restart the school but could not provide furniture and even potable water to them, he regretted.
The education institution was established in 1913 and was later upgraded to high school status and it had more than 27 classrooms and other necessary construction structure to accommodate approximately 2,000 students before militancy. Unfortunately, it has only 250 students in these days.
Like other parts of the tribal belt, Bara Tehsil was one of the worst affected area in decade long militancy era where the infra –structure was completely destroyed.
After restoring peace in Bara tehsil and repatriation of the tribesmen to their hometowns, the government in 2015 decided to reopen the schools to facilitate the repatriated families however the tribal students and their parents complaint of not initiating reconstruction work of the after lapse of three years.
Muhammad Shoaib, a CT teacher of the school while highlighting problems in the school said that the militants had bombed the whole structure of the school and except an examination hall that was standing in decay condition, the whole building presented a view of Wreckage Mountain.
“The debris is still present in the premises of the school and there is always a cause of anxiety for both the teachers and students that if there is any unexploded explosive remained under the ruins and it burst abruptly”, Mr Shoaib remarked and demanded forthwith removal of the debris.
He further added that in the best interest of the tribesmen, studies were started again in tents on the base of self service and with support of local philanthropists who provided uniform to the students and other necessities to the school but it lacked basic needs including scarcity of drinking water and furniture etc. and they appraised the education department of their problems but to in avail.
Hukamran Afridi, a tribesman of Alamgodar locality whose three sons and a grandson were studying in the school said that their children had already suffered in two and half year period of IDPs and after returning to their village full-fledged education activities had not been resumed so far in the school.
“Classes have been started in temporary makeshifts that can accommodated two classes each and in severe weather it is impossible for the students to continue their studies”, he remarked and adding the school had deficiency of class rooms, furniture, potable water and other relevant needs.
He asked of the education department to address their demands in the earliest to make recovery of the time of the local students, they wasted during period of IDPs.
When the Agency Education Officer, Jadoon Wazir was contacted on the matter he said that there were 154 demolished schools (male-female) among that 90 were partially demolished while 64 were fully destroyed. He informed that 16 fully destroyed schools had been rebuilt under Governor Special Development Program (GSDP) and 16 partially damaged institutions had been reconstructed by United Nation Development Program (UNDP).
He added that tendering of rebuilding of 68 more schools of Bara was expected in the month of March with support of China Aid.
