PESHAWAR: Girls’ education remained the prime victim in
Swat where over 119,248 females in private and public sector schools have been
affected while 122 schools for females and 65 others for boys destroyed since
the ongoing violence erupted in the town, a study disclosed.
Two police stations, 12 police posts, 80 video centres, around 300 CD shops, 25
barbershops, 24 bridges, 15 basic health units, an electricity grid station and
a main gas supply line were either destroyed or severely damaged by the militants
during the past few months’ violence in once the tourist heaven.
Two cable networks were closed while another was blown up in the district during
the recent past.
The study carried out by some non-government organisations reveals that 700 hotels
were closed in the area that made 30,000 workers jobless.
As they had no hope of improvement in the law and order situation, five district
police officers and as many district coordination officers either managed to get
them transferred out of the town or did not even report to their offices in Swat.
Also, desertion of over 700 cops was reported from police and FC since the situation
has taken an ugly turn. A huge population had to migrate to safer places from
Kabal, Khwazakhela, Matta and Mingora during the time.
However, the prime victim of the violence remained education, especially of females.
A total of 265,170 students are enrolled in 1,576 government-run schools in the
district.
Out of these institutions, 571 are for girls while the rest are for boys.
As many as 84248 girls were enrolled in public sector schools while around 35,000
others were studying in different private schools of Swat, raising the tally to
119,248.
Out of these females, 59,378 girls (23.17 per cent) were directly affected by
the violence while the rest are scared for being under threat.
There are 13,874 students studying in schools occupied by security forces, Taliban
or closed for fear. Militants have set up their base camps in six schools while
forces have established pickets in 20 others and 3,425 teachers went jobless because
of the situation.
The statistics of the provincial government are a bit different. Provincial Education
Minister Sardar Hussain Babak during a seminar disclosed that 112 schools for
girls and 52 for boys were destroyed by the militants since the trouble started
in Swat.
He disclosed that 62 schools had to be closed for security reasons while 18 were
got vacated for security forces to establish camps. According to the provincial
cabinet member, the government immediately needs Rs600 million for revival of
these schools.
Female education was not only affected in Swat, but schools were blown up and
girls were threatened in Bajaur, Mohmand, Khyber, North and South Waziristan,
Orakzai and Kurram agencies and Tank, Lakki Marwat, Bannu, Hangu, Kohat, rural
Peshawar and Mardan and many other towns not to go for schooling.
The situation is feared to further drop the already poor literacy rate among the
females of the country.