MANSEHRA: Only two per cent of Kohistani women are literate, while 481 government schools in the district exist on paper only.

The information was shared by Hafizur Rehman, regional coordinator of Alif-Ailaan, a nongovernmental organisation, with participants of a two-day education conference in Dassu area of Kohistan on Tuesday.

Rehman said teachers of Kohistan schools, which didn`t have buildings, received salary without performing duty.

He said the situation was to blame for 11 percent male literacy rate, which was far less than those of even backward districts in the province.

The Alif-Ailaan regional coordinator said Kohistan had 1,139 government schools for boys and girls but unfortunately, most of them were either without teachers or without students. `There are 883 schools for boys in the district and 481 of them don`t have buildings,` he said. Hafiz said many Kohistani families didn`t allow female members to go to schools due to local customs and traditions and thus, causing female literacy rate to be at two percent only.

He said there were 265 girl schools in the district and only 30 of them didn`t have buildings but still people didn`t send their daughters to schools by and large.

`Majority of schools are without girl students,` he said.

The Alif-Allaan regional coordinator said most government schools in Kohistan were without furniture and boundary walls and that the government released Rs6 million for the purchase of furniture and other necessities but the money was misappropriated.

He said his organisation would send a report on the situation of education in Kohistan to the relevant quarters and government for corrective measures.

During the event, teachers and educationists discussed the problems faced by students in the district, especially schoolgirls. A speech completion on `voice of children for education` among students of different schools was also part of the event. Shields and certificates were given away to the students, who secured first, second and third positions in the compe tition.Correspondent