ISLAMABAD-Non-appointment of female teachers in Government Girls Elementary School of Nikku has become a major obstacle in continuation of education for girls, putting their future at stake, Monday. The Nation learned that the local population has become reluctant in sending their daughters to school since the government has not filled the vacant posts of female teachers.

The locals of the village Nikku, falling in the territory of district Rawalpindi and tehsil Taxila have approached the district administration demanding to appoint female teachers in school as soon as possible. Officials said that the appointment process of female teachers was halted during recent general polls held in 2018, but later the newly formed government did not move an inch forward for the appointment of female teachers.  In the application filed before District Coordinator Officer (DCO) the locals of the village have urged that due to social constraints, parents are reluctant to send their students to school due to lack of female staff.

The application available with The Nation said that the school was upgraded from the status of Boys Primary School to Girls Elementary School on March 27, 2018 this year. But, the administration still has not appointed the female teachers following the government’s policy. It has been also stated that the local people admitted their girls to the school soon after its up-gradation, but delay in appointment of female teachers in the school has forced them to re-consider their decision of sending their daughters to school.  It also said that the matter was also raised before Deputy District Education Officer (DDEO) of Taxila a month earlier, but till now no positive step has been taken to address this problem of the local population.

The application filed before the DDEO said that school has fourteen female students at elementary level but not a single teacher for them.  It stated that the school has four teachers but all are performing their duties at primary level, while school administration is facing difficulties in managing the elementary girls’ classes.  The school administration pleaded before the tehsil administration to arrange female teachers for elementary students so that they can continue their education. The school established in 1901 is located on the boundary of three districts including Haripur, Attock and Rwalpindi. The local population of the village is above 6000. However the doors of education on majority for girls of the village remained closed for decades as there was no other elementary school for them for more than a century. The local population was also forced to discontinue girls’ education after primary as there was no means of transportation available in the village where they would be sent for education in Taxila city.

A resident of the village Gul Nawaz Khan while talking to The Nation informed that the school was upgraded with the efforts of the local population after a long struggle.

But, now shortage of female teachers there has again alleviated the problems for the local population as government has not appointed teachers there so far, he said. He added that majority of the population is poor and it cannot afford sending their daughters to other villages and cities for elementary education. Another resident Shahid Awan said that the administration had promised appointing the female teachers early but so far it has done nothing. “People will lose the trust and will stop sending their daughters again to school if government didn’t appoint female teachers in this academic year,” he said.  He said that there is no other elementary school for girls in five kilometres radius of this school. Chief Education Officer (CEO) Javed Awan talking to The Nation said that government fulfils the vacant posts following polices and recently appointments were done after the recruitment. He said that administration also receives SME reports and advertises the posts where teachers are required.  He also added that the administration will look into the matter and will also welcome the support of local people in appointing teachers in the school.