TAXILA: As many as 46 posts of different cadres of teachers in 36 government primary schools for girls in Taxila tehsil are lying vacant as per the criteria laid down by the provincial government and the education department, causing a devastating impact on the students` future.

The official data reveals that in 46 schools of the area, where as many as 5,913 girls are enrolled, only 137 teachers have been posted to look after the students of five different classes. As per the criteria and rules set by the government, there should be at least 182 teachers to meet the educadonalneeds of these students.

At present, 204 students are enrolled in Government Girls Primary School Pind Gondal, where only two teachers are imparting education to the students, whereas there should be at least six teachers posted in the school.

Similarly, two teachers are handling 255 students in Government Girls Primary School Pind Kamal Banyian, while there are seven vacant positions in the school.

Four teachers are posted in Government Girls Primary School Lub Thatto, who are teaching 316 students. Fivemore teachers are needed to meet the minimum requirements.

In Government Girls Primary School Wanni, only one teacher is looking after 114 students of different primary classes, while, as per the rules, at least two teachers are supposed to be posted there.

A similar situation exists at Government Girls Primary School Lossar Sharfoo, where only four teachers are teaching 285 students, while eight teachers are supposed to be present there.

The data shows that five teachers are required at Government Girls Primary School Chokar, where only two teachers are teaching 173 students.

The problem is not only confined to the rural areas; the situation remains grim in the urban schools as well. At the Government Girls Primary School Sarai Kala, which is located in the heart of the city, only two teachers are assigned the task of teaching 158 students. As per the rules, five teachers are required in the school.

In Wah Cantonment, where the provincial government schools are struggling to compete with various federal government schools and branches of national-level private chains of schools, the situation is not different. In Government Girls Primary School Saint Joseph, only three teachers are posted to meet the needs of 146 students of different classes. As per the criteria, a minimum of five teachers are required there.

Same is the situation in Government Girls Primary School Brahma, where two teachers are posted to look after 137 students, while four teachers are required there.

In Government Girls Primary School Bun Bhola, twoteachers are posted to cater to the needs of141 students, while four teachers are supposed to be present there to handle the large number of students.

Perveen Bibi, a student of Government Girls Primary School Dhoke Awan, said there was only one teacher in the school to teach around 200 students and in case the teacher is on leave, the school declares an `official holiday` Ishfaq Ahmed, an aggrieved parent, said in case the teacher is sick or has proceeded for official training, there is no one to teach in the school for weeks.

Fatima, a student of Government Girls Primary School Thatta Khalil, said she travels about two kilometres to reach her school, regardless of the harsh weather, but she is disappointed to see that there is no teacher in the school due to one reason or the other.

She said during such days, children either play in front of the school or go back home.

A teacher at Government Girls Primary School Islampur said whenever there was a training programme or whenever she was assigned duty with the anti-polio team, there was no one to teach students at the school.

Therefore a holiday has to be declared at the school. She said in many schools, where only one teacher is appointed, there are generally no studies.

Deputy District Officer Education Robina Rauf, while talking to Dawn, admitted that such a situation existed in the schools.

She said the matter had been brought to the notice of the district and divisional educational authorities several times, and hoped that the issue of shortage of teachers would be addressed in the near future.