Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Shaukatullah Khan, senior provincial minister Sirajul Haq and lawmakers recently took note of the sorry state of education in the militancy-ravaged Maidan area of Lower Dir district after the mainstream print and social media highlighted the images showing students taking examinations in the open under umbrella during showers.

Sitting on wet ground, the students held umbrellas in one hand to protect themselves and answer sheets from showers and solved papers using the other hand.

A total of 100 government-run educational institutions, including primary, middle and high schools both for boys and girls were either torched or blown up by militants in the restive Maidan area of Lower Dir district.

Despite security forces` claim of establishing the government`s writ in andeliminating militants from the restive area, the provincial government has failed to rebuild educational infrastructure damaged five years ago.

It seems education is no more on the priority list of the government. Neither the government nor donors feel the need for rehabilitating and reconstructing damaged schools, especially those run by the government.

With a population of 250,000, Maidan is a strategic location in Lower Dir.

Maulana Sufi Mohammad, chief of the banned Tehreek Nefaz Shariat Mohammadi, belongs to Kumbar, tehsil headquarters of Maidan. The Taliban militants took control of the area early in 2009 and introduced a parallel judicial system there to resolve disputes of local residents.

The torching of local schools began in 2009 when the military offensive was launched against militants there.

`The militants torched the schools having tin sheets and blew up those with concrete roofs,` resident Abdul Malik said.`Though security forces have flushed out militants from the area to restore the government`s writ, schools have yet to be rebuilt,` he said.

Another resident Haji Akram said the people had pinned great hopes in the PTI-JI collation government but it had turned outto be a letdown.

`Hundreds of students both boys and girls have to sit on the ground under the open sky to solve papers during torrential rains,` Saifullah, a resident of Bandai village, said.

He said the village had four educational institutions, including government high school for boys, a girls` middle school and two primary schools, one each for girls and boys.

Mohammad Tahir Khan, an educationist in the area, said the managements of the schools had no option but to shift students to nearby mosques or ask them to sit in the open and use umbrellas when it rains.

Senior English teacher Hayat Khan said students of IX and X classes of GHS, Bandai area of Maidan had been allotted examination hall in a private school, which was five kilometers away.

He said over 750 students of the school from 6th to 8th classes had been without shelter and therefore, they had to sit examinations in nearby mosques during rainy days.

Local elders Bahadar Khan, Gul Mohammad and Hidayatullah told Dawn that around 800 girl students were enrolled in the Government Girls` Higher Secondary School, Kumbar area of Maidan, which had been without shelter, staff and laboratory since 2009.They said despite repeated requests, neither the buildings had been reconstructed norhad adequate staffbeen provided to the schools.

The elders said the GGHSS, Kumbar was upgraded to the higher secondary level in 2006 but it had only one subject specialist teacher, while the classes of 1st and 2nd years had yet to begin.

They said GGHSS Kumar, GHS Bandai Maidan, GGMS Kotkay, GMS Mirgam needed reconstruction of buildings, so their students had been withoutshelters.

According to the official data collected from the district education officer, Lower Dir, a total of 100 schools were either destroyed or damaged in militant attacks in mid-2009.

Lower Dir DEO Hafiz Mohammad Ibrahim said 62 of the total of 100 damaged schools in Maidan had been rebuilt.

He said 20 of the schools were rebuilt by the World Vision, 11 by the Provincial Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Settlement Authority (PaRRSA), six by the works and services department, eight by the Pakistan Army and 17 through the Parents Teachers` Councils on self-help basis.

The DEO said reconstruction of 14 more schools was in progress under PaRRSA funding, while the SRSP was rebuilding three schools.

He said Rs1.3 million was recently provided from PTC fund to every destroyed school in Kharkai and Bosta areas of Samar Bagh subdivision.

According to him, despite absence of shelters and staff shortage, all destroyed or damaged schools are functional.

`The credit goes to the education department in Lower Dir that none of the damaged schools was closed down,` he said.

Hafiz Ibrahim said adequate steps were being taken to make necessary arrangements for students of shelter-less schools in the area.

He said some schools had been provided with tents by the Pakistan Army and the education department.

Residents of Maidan confirmed some schools like GPS Mashinabad, GMS Kumbar, GPS Markhanai, GPS Khanabad, GPS Lal Qila and GPS Kotkay had been rebuilt.

They said buildings of GHS Dafoor, GHS Zaimdara and GHS Sangolai in Maidan were under construction.The residents said the army officers visited local educational institutions and health facilities frequently to ensure better conditions.

Major Shahid of the Pakistan Army said the army had built several damaged schools to promote education the violence-hit area.

He said tents had been provided to school to make makeshift teaching and examination arrangements.

MPA from Maidan Saeed Gul said he was aware of the situation.

He said Rs400 million had been approved for reconstruction of schools in Bandai area of Maidan and work on them would start soon.

The MPA said the projects had been tendered but the contractors were reluctant to begin work on them over reservations about rates being offered.

He said the last government had tasked PDMA with rebuilding damaged schools but lengthy and complicated process of approval and testing were big hurdles to the early completion of work.

Saeed Gul regretted only few schools were rebuilt by the PDMA during the last five years.

`Majority of the damaged schools inmy constituency have been reconstructed, while some still need rebuilding, he said, adding that the previous government had kept the area deprived of development.

Senior minister and Jamaat-i-Islami leader Sirajul Haq said the provincial government had taken serious note of dismal situation of Maidan schools.

He said the government was committed to rehabilitating all damaged schools in the region.

`Chief Minister Pervez Khattak has taken note of poor condition of Maidan schools, so steps are being proposed to reconstruct them on war footing,` he said.

However, despite these claims of the minister, lawmakers and officials, local residents are not certain whether the government will resolve the lingering problem on war footing or they will have to wait for the next government for the purpose.

They said like residents of other parts of the country, they had a right to education for development and prosperity, so the government should ensure early reconstruction of destroyed or damaged schools in the area.