School in Bisham faces severe staff shortage

BISHAM: The future of around 700 students of the Government Higher Secondary School Botial is at stake as the institution is without principal and vice-principal for the last one year.

The school is also facing staff shortage but the government has yet to take steps for recruitment of the teachers for the school.

The school, established in 1988, is the largest public sector school in the Shangla district, with 700 students enrolled.

These positions were not advertised for National Testing Service (NTS) test to be conducted for recruitment of teachers, the locals said. "The lack of facilities including, drinking water and washrooms, coupled with shortage of teachers have forced the parents to shift their children to private educational institutions," said Amjad Khan.

Sources told The News that recruitment process had not been initiated due to political reasons. The sources added that teachers' transfers to other areas have affected the educational activities at the school.

An elected representative of the area, Gul Dad Khan, said that the students were suffering due to shortage of teachers. He warned of blocking the Karakoram Highway if the issue was not resolved forthwith.

Another councillor, Attaullah Khan, lamented that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf was claiming education reforms in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa but on the contrary it had politicised the education sector.