30pc of girls drop out before completing primary education in erstwhile Fata: Report
PESHAWAR
A recent annual report by the elementary and secondary education department of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has revealed that 319 government primary schools in merged tribal districts remain non-functional.
The report, compiled by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Education Monitoring Authority for the academic year 2023-24, provides a comprehensive analysis of the state of education in the merged districts.
According to the report, out of 5,088 primary-level schools in the merged districts, 4,769 are functional, and 105 are designated as Mosque/Maktab schools.
By location, 125 primary schools are in urban areas, while 4,963 are in rural regions of the erstwhile Fata, as per the report statistics.
The high dropout rate at the primary level in the merged districts remains a major concern. Among boys, 12.8pc leave school before completing primary education. The situation is even more alarming for girls, with over 30pc dropping out before reaching the primary level’s completion.
The report also details classroom availability, stating that there are 7,881 classrooms for boys in primary schools and 5,244 for girls. Additionally, 366 classrooms for boys and 382 for girls are categorized as kucha (temporary structures).
Infrastructure remains a challenge in these merged districts, where 99 percent of functional schools have boundary walls, 81 percent have access to water supply, but only 57 percent have electricity.
The report revealed that there are 6,394 government schools in the merged districts of KP, with 6,036 schools functional and 358 non-functional.
At the primary level, 4,769 schools are operational, catering to 493,571 students, which accounts for 78pc of the total enrollment in the merged districts of the province.
Notably, 99pc of functional schools have boundary walls, 81pc have water supply, 57pc have electricity, and 90pc have toilet facilities.
The report also highlights the enrollment distribution by stage in government schools. A total of 692,295 students are enrolled, with 60,314 in nursery and 139,040 in secondary schools, including 15.3pc in middle, 5.6pc in high, and 1.1pc in higher secondary schools.
The report stated that 125 primary schools are located in urban areas, while 4,963 are in rural areas of the tribal belt.
