Missing facilities in government schools of Rawalpindi identified

Rawalpindi

Social Sustainable Development Organisation (SSDO) in collaboration with Accountability Lab and Making all Voices Countable has initiated a programme with the Youth Accountability Ambassadors ‘Engaging Youth Accountability Ambassadors for Improved Service Delivery in Rawalpindi’.

SSDO is an initiative to contribute to the well-being of society for establishing an institutionalised system of social development through emphasising a responsible citizenship.

A team of Youth Accountability Ambassadors associated with SSDO is passionate to ensure citizens’ rights by fostering purposeful legislation, law enactment, stakeholders’ empowerment, good governance in terms of services delivery. They have identified the missing facilities in a targeted area of Rawalpindi and documented a report on it.

Initially the team is based on 10 youth ambassadors namely Rafia Malik, Tayyaba Paracha, Maryam Azhar, Iram Naz, Adnan Haider, Waqas Bangash, Danish Iftikhar, Arsalan Muzammil, Bilal Awan and Amir Bukhari. These ambassadors are associated with different universities such as International Islamic University, Foundation University, Arid Agriculture University and University of Engineering Taxila. Students’ contribution in such initiatives is very positive sign that our youth is passionate for ensuring social accountability in the city and for wellbeing of citizens. SSDO has started their work by monitoring Government High Schools of NA-54, 55 and 56 of Rawalpindi. Until now they have monitored 50 schools. The basic reason behind this monitoring is to point out missing facilities of schools. According to the ambassadors they have experienced horrifying situation and they feel ashamed after realizing that the future builders of Pakistan do not have even schools.

Youth ambassadors have highlighted some issues in the report which are that the Government MC Boys High School situated in the middle of Moti Bazaar, Rawalpindi, has no security guard despite the fact that schools are facing security threats. Especially in the populated area of interior Rawalpindi security measures should be followed because it is the basic right of the students. Similarly, Government Zia-ul-Islam High School Trunk Bazaar and Government Shimla Boys High School Namak Mandi are depicting the picture of some market rather than a school. Entrance of both schools is lost behind the Illegal encroachments. There is also a school named Government Boys High School Khyaban-e-Sir Syed Sector 3 where boundary wall on one side is missing, moreover, anyone of us can imagine the condition of inner side of school where there is not even a complete boundary wall. How children can put all their attention towards study if they don’t have even basic facilities in schools. Government Anwar-ul-Islam Girls School No. 2 Baraf Khana does not have even chairs for all students and little girls are forced to sit on floor in this severe season of winters. The most highlighted school by SSDO is, Koh-e-Noor Boys High School where neither there are class rooms nor any other facilities present for the students. According to the youth accountability ambassador the condition of the school is worst and kids are facing lot of difficulties while studying. Some kids studying under the shade of trees and some are sitting in corridors. Despite the fact that there is office of thrice elected MNA Malik Ibrar Ahmed and MPA Malik Iftikhar Ahmed in front of Koh-e-Noor Boys High School, the condition is big question mark on performance of Provincial and District Government. Good news is this, one school named MC Boys High School had missing facility of drinking water and that was fixed on direction of DCO Rawalpindi and EDO Education Rawalpindi after it was highlighted by SSDO.

Youth ambassadors are hopeful for such collaboration by the District Government in future so that they can work together to provide basic facilities to citizens which is their basic right.

Syed Kausar Abbas, Executive Director of Sustainable Social Development Organisation (SSDO), said that education is the fundamental right of every citizen and government is bound to provide all missing facilities on priority basis. He said that the schools of Rawalpindi are in pathetic condition including lack of staff, facilities, security, etc. He also said that the issues have been reported to Executive District Officer (Education) Qazi Zahoor-ul-Haq and District Coordination Officer Sajid Zafar Dall. Both have made commitment to resolve these issues on priority basis.

Sajid Zafar Dall, District Coordination Officer, when contact by The News, said that it is our annual component to restore the missing facilities in schools. What we have to do is identify, prioritize and then release the annual funds for the missing facilities in the schools. It’s not a one-time allocation but it’s a recurring feature that we have to maintain the missing facilities in the schools. We have 1800 schools in the entire district, and currently we are focusing on the missing facilities in Kahuta, Murree and Kotli Satyan area. We focus on electricity, water supply boundary walls etc. It is a good initiative by SSDO, and we want them to identify the missing facilities in schools on monthly basis and eventually we would prioritize, streamline it and restore it.