ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad Model School for Girls Sangjani, one of the capital`s neglected public schools, was provided furniture and other items to meet students` basic requirements by the concerned authorities, after theintervention of the prime minister.

Taking notice of a news report, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif directed the Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) Minister Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry to resolve the problems facing hundreds of the school`s students forced to study outdoors on shabby rugs.

The CADD minister visited the school on Tuesday to ensure students are provided basic facilities. In addition to lackingfurniture, the school is also short on classrooms.

In order to meet the shortage of classrooms that had forced students to study outdoors, the CADD ministry and the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) handed over three unused classrooms and a hall in the adjacent boys`school.

According to an official statementissued by the ministry, 200 chairs were provided from CADD`s resources, and `from Wednesday no student will be sitting on rough rugs`.

Under a stop-gap arrangement, three teachers have been posted to the Sangjani girls` school from nearby schools, and a computer teacher recently recommended by the FPSC will be posted during this month to supervise the computer lab.

Due to the lack of computer teachers, the school was not offering computer science as a subject for grades nine and 10.

The statement said funds from the FDE`s main budget were being provided to repair bathrooms, the play area and lights, and these tasks would be completed within 10 days.

The school will be renovated entirely, and 10 classrooms will be added, under the next phase of the Prime Minister`s Education Reforms Programme.

During the first phase of the reforms programme, 22 schools were renovated and remodelled. However, after media reports that several of the renovated schools were stillshort on classrooms, forcing students to study outdoors, the Prime Minister`s Office ordered the immediate construction of around 70 classrooms in the 22 remodelled schools, which is ongoing.

`It is a good sign that the government provided the Sangjani school with the due basic facilities instead of covering up the matter. We are thankful to the prime minister and the CADD minister,` said Federal Government Teachers Association President Malik Ameer Khan.

He said public schools are facing an acute shortage of teachers, resulting in poor performances by their students. `The process of new recruitment through a competitive process and on merit should begin immediately,` he said.

According to the CADD ministry`s statement, the second phase of the education reforms programme will begin as soon as funds are received from the Ministry of Finance. The ministry will release Rs1 billion in the first instalment of Rs3 billion during the current fiscal year.

It also said the PC-1 for the uplift of the schools has been submitted to the Planning Commission.