At a time, when the ratio of girls acquiring education is more or less equal to boys, there still are a few underdeveloped areas where schools exist but students are not enrolled for want of secured learning environment and basic facilities, especially in case of girls.
Educational process of children in rural areas starts a bit late and thus girl students reach puberty when they are still in primary grades forcing parents to withdraw them from schools.
Parents are apprehensive in sending their daughters to school where there is no boundary wall, electricity, water, and toilet facility.
In many areas of Umerkot district children travel up to eight kilometres, carrying heavy school bags stuffed with books, lunch boxes and water bottles. They trample fast to reach their school on time. Few fill their bottles from hand pumps on way.
There are total 2,316 schools in Umerkot district where 82,750 boys and 47,000 girls are enrolled, revealed a census 2009-10 undertaken by the Sindh Education Management Information System in collaboration with the Reform Unit of Education Department.There is one elementary, 463 primary, 14 middle, 14 secondary and four higher secondary schools for boys as against one elementary, 427 primary, 12 middle, 11 secondary and two higher secondary schools for girls.
Some 2,304 schools out of total 2,316 have no science laboratory, 2,301 are without any library, 2,111 sans power supply, 2,014 lack playground, 1,193 without boundary walls and 990 bereft of any toilets.
A social worker Manzoor Hassan Bhatti attributes these factors to low literacy rate in the district. He questions as how can parents send their wards, particularly girls to schools where the concept of security and hygiene are almost non-existent.
He reminded the incident of last year when a student Haq Nawaz Rahimoon of the Government High School, Eidani village, Chhachhro village died of thirst while returning home from school.
There are many schools with a tank facility but either connection is not available or saline water, he says adding: What to say of quality when its availability has been compromised. If a toilet is accessible then water is not.
Enrolment of girls in Hajam Mohalla Primary School Bahrai has dropped from 66 to 44 as parents feel inhibited in sending them to a school which has no boundary wall, drinking water facility or power supply, says a primary teacher Allauddun Hajam. The higher authorities when approached promised of a resolution which still has not been materialised, he says.Funds released by the School Management Committee are not given on the basis of need but schools with both high and low enrolments are provided equal amounts as previously some teachers provided fake numbers to draw extra money when these were disbursed on the need base.
EDO Education, Ghulam Mustafa Soomro says the Education Department established criteria for provision of facilities which says the school should`ve been established three years back and it must be a main and not a branch school with more than 75 students enrolled.
Some schools provide these facilities with the help of MNAs and MPAs funds while the Education Department tries to make up for others.
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