KOHAT: Studies of 300 girls are being disturbed due to f requent shif ting f rom one rented building to another owing to lack of own primary school building in Ustarzai.

The old government primary school functioning since 1909 has changed many rented buildings, but the education department paid no attention to provide an important facility of own building to the girls coming from far-flung areas of the village. There is no other girls` school in the populated village of Ustarzai.

The leaders and elders of the area had raised the issue during the MMA, ANP and present PTI governments and MPA Ziaullah Bangash had been promising its construction for the last four years, but to no avail.

District councillor Shah Raza told this correspondent on phone that though the PTI government had been claiming that education was its top priority, it had ignored the girl students of this area in providing them a school building of their own.

He said that a resolution had also been passed in the district assembly unanimously last year for construction of the school and the education department`s of ficials present on the occasion were asked about the matter, but they did not bother to give a formal reply.

He said that some of the primary school girls residing in areas close to the boys schools were studying there, which was against cultural traditions. He said that there were several private schools, but the poor people could not afford their high fee.

Mehtabul Hassan, a district councillor who represents Ustarzai Bala, Payan and Kacahi, clarified that when his brother Qalbe Hassan was ANP minister the people of the area did not give land for construction of the said school. The education department had sought four kanals for the purpose against which the people gave only two kanals, which had now been accepted.

He said that it was the prerogative of MPA to construct a school anywhere in his constituency from his fund and the education department was helpless in this regard.

When contacted, district education officer (female) Zebun Nisa said that she was not in full picture about the issue as she had taken charge about two months ago. She said that a decision had been taken that half of the buildings of boys` middle schools would be given to the girls` primary schools and they would be shifted there. `I will take up the matter with the education department to resolve the issue as soon as possible, she said.KOHAT: Studies of 300 girls are being disturbed due to f requent shif ting f rom one rented building to another owing to lack of own primary school building in Ustarzai.

The old government primary school functioning since 1909 has changed many rented buildings, but the education department paid no attention to provide an important facility of own building to the girls coming from far-flung areas of the village. There is no other girls` school in the populated village of Ustarzai.

The leaders and elders of the area had raised the issue during the MMA, ANP and present PTI governments and MPA Ziaullah Bangash had been promising its construction for the last four years, but to no avail.

District councillor Shah Raza told this correspondent on phone that though the PTI government had been claiming that education was its top priority, it had ignored the girl students of this area in providing them a school building of their own.

He said that a resolution had also been passed in the district assembly unanimously last year for construction of the school and the education department`s of ficials present on the occasion were asked about the matter, but they did not bother to give a formal reply.

He said that some of the primary school girls residing in areas close to the boys schools were studying there, which was against cultural traditions. He said that there were several private schools, but the poor people could not afford their high fee.

Mehtabul Hassan, a district councillor who represents Ustarzai Bala, Payan and Kacahi, clarified that when his brother Qalbe Hassan was ANP minister the people of the area did not give land for construction of the said school. The education department had sought four kanals for the purpose against which the people gave only two kanals, which had now been accepted.

He said that it was the prerogative of MPA to construct a school anywhere in his constituency from his fund and the education department was helpless in this regard.

When contacted, district education officer (female) Zebun Nisa said that she was not in full picture about the issue as she had taken charge about two months ago. She said that a decision had been taken that half of the buildings of boys` middle schools would be given to the girls` primary schools and they would be shifted there. `I will take up the matter with the education department to resolve the issue as soon as possible, she said.