RAHIM YAR KHAN: Of the total 2,841 schools in Rahim Yar Khan district, only 22pc are elementary and secondary schools and they are not fulfilling the requirements of post-primary education.

According to the data of the School Education Department, the district has 2,223 primary schools and 383 elementary, 214 secondary and 21 higher secondary schools which means there are total 618 schools providing postprimary education.

According to Pakistan Social & Living Standards Measurement Survey 2014-15, net enrollment rate (NER) in schools of the district is only 42pc which decreases to 18pc at middle level and drops to just11pcatthe secondarylevel. The main reason for this drop in number is the shortage of middle and secondary schools.

There are a number of schools awaiting upgrade but the education authorities are not paying attention to this issue.

Unavailability of middle and high schools pushes local students to either move to other areas or quit education as travel to other villages could be done by the boys but the girls mostly find it hard to do as parents rarely allow their daughters to go far from their homes.

The Govt Girls Primary School, Shahkot, Sadiqabad, is awaiting approval for its upgrade by the secretary education for one year. A school council member, Asma Sarfraz, says there are five girls primary schools in villages in 8km radius of Bahadurpur UnionCouncil. She says almost 50 children pass out from these schools each year but 30pc children, especially the girls, cannot continue their education because the nearest elementary and secondary girls school is at Chowk Bahadurpur, some 8km from the village. She says residents of her village has hired an MA female teacher on their own against a monthly stipend of Rs9,000 and she teaches seven girl students of class 6 and 7 at the primary school.

Ms Asma says in March 2016, cases of four girls primary schools at Abu Dahbi Colony, Wahi Jumman Shah, Chak 228-P and Basti Shahkot were sent to the Punjab Education Department in Lahore but except Basti Shahkot`s school, all others were upgraded because those werelocated in the constituency of the ruling party parliamentarian.

Rabia and Mehak, who are studying in class 6 in the school, say that they want to get higher education and work for their community as well as the country. They hope their school will be upgraded soon and they would be able to continue their education.

Talking to Dawn, Rehana Irum, the focal person for the district education department, admits that there is reality in the issue of upgrade of schools but she will have to check the reasons as to why the schools are not being upgraded. She claims that she herself has made her best efforts for the upgrade of the schools, adding that she can further comment on the issue after consulting her highups.